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.
From History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa : Illustrated (1910)
EMIL PRIESTER.
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 History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa : Illustrated (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1910. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.