In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1822, Butler County
From History of Allen County, Ohio : containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; hist (1885)
WILLIAM D. BREESE, farmer, P. O. Lima, was born in Butler County, Ohio, April 30, 1822; son of Griffith and Mary (Mowen) Breese, former a native of Wales, latter of Franklin County, Penn. His paternal grandfather was John Breese, a native of Wales, who came to America in 1798, settling in Champaign County, Ohio, in an early day, and whose children were Susan, Griffith, Robert, Mary and John (all new deceased). Our subject’s maternal grandfather was Lewis Mowen, a native of Pennsylvania. William D. Breese came with his parents in 1832 to this county, where the latter entered land in Shawnee Township, a part of which is now occupied by our subject, and which, with the assistance of their sons, they cleared and improved. Here the father died in 1848, at the age of fifty-eight, and the mother in March, 1853, at the age of sixty-two. They had a family of six children: Nancy, George, John (killed while moving a house), William D., David M. and Griffith (who died in the army October, 1862). Our subject war reared in Shawnee Township, this county, from ten years of age, and has always resided on the old homestead. He was married March 15, 1859, to Ellen, daughter of Solomon and Ruth (Carter) Yoakum, who settled in Shawnee Township, this county, in 1842, and to this union was born one son, G. Alva (who was married January 20, 1881, to Iva, daughter of Jehu and Mary (Clark) John, of Elida, Ohio, by whom he has three children: Clifford E., Julius C. and Vida M. Mrs. Breese died in February, 1861, at the age of twenty-eight years; at the time of her death she was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Breese has served the township as justice of the peace one term, was township treasurer for several years and also township clerk. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he is a Republican.
As printed in History of Allen County, Ohio : containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; hist (1885). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1885. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.