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 1872
From History of Adair County, Iowa, and its people (1915)
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 History of Adair County, Iowa, and its people (1915). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1915. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.