The Priester Family of Scott County, Iowa

Fritz Priester, who since 1900 has lived retired in his fine home at No. 1102 West Fourteenth street in Davenport, was actively engaged in general agricultural pursuits throughout his entire business career and is still the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land in Lincoln township, Scott county. He was born in Holstein, Germany, on the 22d of March, 1844, his parents being Carl and Eliza Priester. The father was a farmer by occupation and also served as a soldier in the Germany army. In 1857, in company with his wife and children, he crossed the Atlantic to the United States, landing at New York, whence he came direct to Davenport, Iowa. He purchased and established his home on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of improved land in Lincoln township, which is now in possession of our subject, and there successfully carried on his agricultural interests until the time of his demise, his death being occasioned by injuries which he received in a runaway accident in 1864. A year afterward his widow went to live with her son Adoloh in Davenport, where she made her home until called to her final rest in 1891, when eighty-three years of age.

Fritz Priester, who was one of a family of twelve children, received his early education in the schools of his native land and after coming to this country continued his studies throughout one winter season. He early became familiar with the duties and labors which fall to the lot of the agriculturist through the assistance which he rendered in the work of the home farm and after his father's death took charge of the place, devoting his time and energies to its further cultivation and improvement throughout the remainder of his active business career. The property still remains in his possession and the other tract of one hundred and sixty acres which he owns in Lincoln township was given to his wife by her father. His place is lacking in none of the conveniences and improvements of a model farm of the twentieth century and he recently erected thereon a fine residence and substantial barn. It was in 1900 that he put aside the active work of the fields and took up his above in a residence which he purchased at No. 1 102 West Fourteenth street in Davenport, where he has since lived retired in the enjoyment of well earned rest.

On the 8th of February, 1867, Mr. Priester was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Hacker, whose birth occurred in Mecklenburg, Germany, January 14,

1849, and who was therefore but three years of age when in 1852 she was brought to the United States by her parents, Christopher and Fredericka Hacker. After landing in New Orleans Mr. and Mrs. Hacker made their way direct to this county, locating on a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land which the former purchased in Butler township. Subsequently he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Lincoln township, where he made his home for a great many years, meeting with a gratifying measure of success in his farming operations. His demise occurred at Eldridge in 1908, when he had attained the age of eighty-seven years, while his wife passed away in Davenport in 1894 at the age of seventy-four years. They had two children who grew to maturity, namely: Mrs. Priester; and Fredericka, the wife of Emil Rohlf, of Eldridge. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Priester have been born nine children, the record of whom is as follows: Laura is now the wife of Gustavus Wellendorf and resides in Minnesota. Herman, an agriculturist of. Sheridan township, wedded Miss Laura Fellener, by whom he has two children, Herbert and Lillian. Adolph, living in Wisconsin, married Miss Sophia Meier and has one son, Arnold. Louisa gave her hand in marriage to Henry Fellener, of Sheridan township, and is now the mother of four children: Fred, Walter, Harvey and Leila. Matilda, living in Lincoln township, is the wife of Julius Greenwald, by whom she has three children — Elmer, Linta and Eleanor. Emil, who resides on the old home farm in Lincoln township, married Miss Louisa Lepten, by whom he had three children, namely: Wilma; Altha, deceased; and Elna. Ferdinand, whose birth occurred on the loth of July, 1880, passed away December 19, 1902. Alma is the wife of August Rauch, of Davenport, Iowa, and has two children. Vera and Mervin. Ella, also living in Davenport, is the wife of William Claussen and has one child, Evelyn.

In his political views Mr. Priester is a stanch democrat, loyally supporting the men and measures of that party. He has held the office of township trustee and acted as school treasurer for two years, while for nine years he was a school director, ever proving a faithful and capable public official. As a citizen he is public spirited to an eminent degree, deeply interested in the welfare and prosperity of the county in which he has now resided for more than a half century. His many good qualities are displayed by the friendship which is uniformly accorded him by those who know him.

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

Various business interests have felt the stimulus of the cooperation and sound judgment of Adolph Priester, who through many years has been closely connected with commercial and financial interests in Davenport. Difficulties have seemed but to arouse in him renewed energy and determination and with progress as his watchword he has pushed steadily forward, making for himself an honorable and enviable position among Davenport's chief business representatives. He was born June 30, 1848, in Holstein, Germany, and came to this country in August, 1857, when a youth of nine years, in company with his parents, Carl and Elise (Beuthien) Priester. The father was the founder of the family in the new world. He had followed farming in Germany and after crossing the Atlantic to the United States he made his way into the interior of the country and invested in land in Scott county. With characteristic energy he then began the development of a farm and soon brought his fields under a high state of cultivation.

Adolph Pries,ter began his education in the schools of the fatherland and completed his course in the public schools of this country. He was reared to the occupation of farming and became familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, but, thinking to find other pursuits more congenial, he turned his attention to merchandising, becoming active in the management of a dry-goods store in this city. He was afterward associated with a crockery company and later entered the Citizens National Bank, with which he was connected for twenty-eight years as teller and assistant cashier. While still engaged in the banking business he established an office for the conduct of an insurance business, representing the Germania Life Company, and following his retirement from the field of banking he was appointed state manager for the company, which he has thus represented to the present time. In this regard he controls an extensive insurance business annually, carefully devising plans for the furtherance of the interests of the company in this state. He is likewise a director of the Davenport Brewing Company and is a well known business man.

On the ist of December, 1888, Mr. Priester was married to Miss Ida Koehler, a daughter of Henry and Ottilie (Schlapp) Koehler. Three children grace this marriage: Henry C, who has completed school and is now a private secretary to Mr. Mixter, superintendent of the Deere Plow Company; and Walter and Oscar C, who are yet students. Mr. Priester is well known in fraternal circles and in Masonry has attained the Knight Templar degree. He also belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and his membership relations extend to the Turner Society and to the Commercial Club. He manifests in his life many of the strong and sterling characteristics of his German ancestry. Patriotism and progress might well be termed the keynote of his character, for these qualities have been manifest in every relation of his life, making him one of the valued citizens of Davenport as well as one of its representative business men.

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

A large percentage of the citizens of substantial worth in Scott county have come from or trace their lineage to the fatherland. Among this number is Emil Priester, who now follows farming on one hundred and sixty acres of land lying partly in Butler and partly in Lincoln townships. This property is owned by his father, Fritz Priester, who is mentioned on another page of this volume. It was upon the old home farm that Emil Priester was born on the 15th of July, 1877, his parents being Fritz and Wilhelmina Priester, whose names indicate their German ancestry. He has lived on this farm all his life and in his youthful days divided his time between the pleasures of the playground, the duties of the schoolroom and the work of the fields on the old homestead. He gained practical knowledge of the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops, and in the year 1901 he took charge of the farm, which he has conducted continuously since. He raises good crops and at the same time makes a specialty of raising Duroc Jersey hogs, light Brahma chickens and Bourbon red turkeys. He utilized the latest improved machinery in carrying on the work of the fields and the place is equipped with all the modern improvements and accessories that constitute features of a model farm of the twentieth century. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator Company of Eldridge.

On the 17th of October, 1900, Mr. Priester was married to Miss Louisa Leptien, a daughter of William and Minnie Leptien, of Cleona township. Mrs. Priester was born in Davenport on the 20th day of September, 1881, in which city her parents settled on coming from Germany to the new world, the father there entering the employ of the Mueller Lumber Company. Later he turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits and is now engaged in farming in Sheridan township. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Priester have been bom three children, Wilma, Athol and Elna, but the second child died September 8, 1908, at the age of five years and eight days.

Mr. and Mrs. Priester have many friends in the community and their own home is a hospitable one. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias of Eldridge and his life is in harmony with its beneficent principles.

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