The Peters Families of Adair County, Iowa

JAMES RUSSELL PETERS.

James Russell Peters has for forty-three years been a witness of the changes that have been wrought and the development that has been carried forward in Adair county, for he has spent the entire period of his life in this county, his birth having occurred in Jefferson township in April, 1872. He is a son of James and Mary Ellen (Russell) Peters, who were natives of Peoria county, Illinois. The father lived in the city of Peoria until he reached the age of ten years, when his parents removed to a farm in that county, so that he was reared to agricultural life, early becoming familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the farmer. When he had attained his majority he began farming on his own account and was thus busily engaged in Peoria county until 1869, when he drove across the country to Adair county, Iowa, and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 22, Jefferson township, for which he paid eight dollars per acre. The work of improvement has been carried steadily forward since that time and the farm is now valued at one hundred seventy-five dollars jeer acre. James Peters continued the active work of the fields until 1909, when he retired from business, but is still living on the old home place at the age of seventy-four years. His wife also survives and has reached the age of seventy-eight.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

Julius Peters lives on section 14, Jefferson township, and has long occupied this farm. A beautiful grove of maple trees of his own planting is one of the attractive features of the place and various improvements indicate the care and progressiveness with which he has carried on his farm work. He was born in North Peoria, Illinois, February 17, 1813, and is a son of James and Alice (Giles) Peters, the former a native of England and the latter of Wales. They came to America when young and were married in Peoria county, Illinois. The great-grandfather Avas at one time a soldier of the English army, the grandfather on the material side was one of the soldiers that guarded Napoleon I at St. Helena, and the grandmother washed Napoleon's clothes there. The father engaged in brick making in Peoria for some time after his arrival in the new world, but subsequently settled upon a farm in Peoria county, and still later purchased a farm near Princeville, which he occupied for several years. Eventually he took up his above in the village of Princeville, where both he and his wife spent their remaining days. In their family were eleven children, of whom the following survive: James, now a resident of Adair county; Julius; George, who makes his home in Des jNIoines, Iowa; Mary, who for twenty years has been a missionary in China and is now superintendent of day schools there; Sarah, who has devoted thirty years of her life to missionary work in China; William, who is engaged in farming near Sac City, Iowa; and Thomas, who makes his home upon a farm near Ravenswood, Missouri.

Julius Peters spent his youthful days in the home of his parents, and after attaining his majority began farming on his own account on a tract of rented land in Peoria county, Illinois. He was thus engaged until lie enlisted for service in the Civil war, becoming a member of Company H. Fourteenth Illinois Infantry, responding to the last call. He served for seven months and was with Sherman on the celebrated march to the sea, being mustered out at Leavenworth. Kansas, following the close of hostilities. He then returned to Peoria county and in the following spring removed to Adair county, settling on the farm on which he now resides on section

14, Jefferson township. He has greatly improved the place upon which he lived for a number of years, but at length he sold out and returned to Illinois, where he continued for a year. At the end of that time, however, he once more came to Adair county and took up his above upon the farm which is still his home. He has made excellent improvements, rebuilding fences, erecting substantial buildings and setting out trees, while the work of the fields has been carefully and systematically carried on, with the result that good crops have annually rewarded his labors.

Mr. Peters returned to Illinois for his bride, being married in 1873 to Mrs. Antoinette (Alford) Robinson, who was born in Peoria county, Illinois, a daughter of Moses and Almira (Wells) Alford, both of whom were natives of Connecticut. In early life, however, they removed westward to Peoria county and settled on a farm, where their remaining days were passed. In their family were eight children, three of whom survive. To Mr. and Mrs. Peters was born a son, Myron Julius, whose birth occurred on the homestead farm in Jefferson township, November 3rd, 1876. He lived with his father until he reached man's estate and then took charge of the old homestead. He and his father now own the property together, comprising three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land, constituting one of the finest farms in Jefferson township. In 1905 he married Miss Jennie Viola Starr, a native of Washington county, Iowa, and a daughter of George W. and Maria T. (Hyatt) Starr, the former a native of Indiana, and the latter of Ohio. They became residents of Washington county, Iowa, at an early jDeriod in its development and afterward removed to Shelby county, this state, where the father carried on agricultural pursuits for a considerable period. Later he retired and removed to Stuart, Iowa, where he passed away, but the mother is still living. To Mr. and Mrs. Myron J. Peters have been born three children: Velma Leola, Carl Frederick and Ruth Gwendolyn. Mrs. Julius Peterspassed away in 1911 and was laid to rest in the Jefferson Center cemetery, her death being the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for she had many warm friends throughout this part of the county.

In his political views Julius Peters has been a stalwart republican since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, but he has never sought nor desired public office. He has served as school director and the cause of education finds* in him a stalwart champion. He has always been a consistent and faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church and his has been an active and useful life guided by honorable principles and fraught with good results.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.