August Gottlieb Kicherer was one of eight sons and one daughter of a Burgermeister in Zaisersweiher, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. He married Susanna Katharine Gilly (whose mother's maiden name was Servay) a descendent of French Huguenots whose family had fled to Germany during the persecution of the Huguenots. Nine children--7 daughters and 2 sons, were born in Germany. Two of the daughters died in infancy in Germany.

Sometime prior to August 1882, August G. Kicherer came to America, following other members of his family. In August 1882 his wife and seven surviving children followed him, and the family settled in Ypsilanti, Michigan where he worked as a brewer. Five other daughters were born in Ypsilanti, three of whom died very young.

August Gottlieb's only sister was named Fredericka. The city in Germany from which theyembarked on their journey to America is named Grossvillars, near the major city of Stuttgart.

Carl Wilhelm (Charles William) Kicherer told this story about how the August Gottlieb Kicherer family came to settle in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Sometime prior to August of 1882 (probably about a year prior) August Gottlieb Kicherer, aged about 41, left his family in Germany and sailed for America. He settled in Detroit where he obtained employment, then sent for his wife and seven living children. Two other babies who were born in Germany died there.

Susannah Katharine Gilly Kicherer, then only 33 years old, packed up her precious belongings in boxes and bags; assigned certain parcels of luggage to the older children's responsibility, and embarked on the long trip to join her husband. With her on the journey were Pauline Marie age 11, Mary Susannah age 10, August Ludwig age 9, Fredericka age 8, Wilhelmina age 5, Carl Wilhelm age 3, and Anna Frieda who had her 2nd birthday on the boat while traveling to America. The trip tok several weeks, and when Susannah got off the boat in New York City with her bags, her boxes and her seven children, she could not find the paper with her husband's address on it. She did not speak English, of course, but finally located an envelope on which was written the address of her husband's brother, who lived in Ypsilanti, Michigan - so the immigration authorities put her on the train for Ypsilanti.

She arrived in Ypsilanti to find no one she knew, or could understand what she was saying, and there she stood on the station platform, surrounded by her belongings and her seven children--a stranger in a strange land! She approached the stationmaster timidly to inquire if he "sproken ze doetch", and while he did not, he knew enough to know it was the German language and sent for a Mr. Miller who could understand her and took her to Louis Kicherer's home, where it was established that it was actually August Kicherer she was seeking.

But, when they suggested sending her to Detroit, Susannah put her foot down, declared she had traveled the last mile she intended to travel and if her husband wanted to see her he could come to Ypsilanti and find work, which he did, and there they stayed for the rest of their lives.