Requests
Need help finding one of your Volga German ancestors who lived in Portland or in identifying people in your old photographs?
E-mail the Webmaster to place your requests here!
The image above is a picture of my great grandparents taken in Norka. Ludwig Bott is seated on the right and is holding a cane. His wife Maria Magdalena Bott (nee Kniss) is seated next to him. My grandmother Catherine Gruen (nee Bott) is standing behind Ludwig and Maria Magdalena Bott. My father, Henry Gruen (Green), is the little boy in front standing next to Ludwig Bott. My father took his stepfather's last name of Gruen (Green). My father's cousin Henry Peter Bott (age about 17) is standing to the left in the picture. We have identified two of my father's aunts as married to a Henkel, and a Urbach. My father was born in 1903. I am speculating that the picture was taken about 1906 or 1907. Please contact me if you have any information about this family.
Sincerely,
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I have attached two pictures and I am hoping that someone can help me identify some of the people. My mother lived in Portland Oregon in 1924 until June 1925. The one picture is her confirmation picture, and possibly along with some of the people in the picture maybe someone can also help me identify the church in which it was taken. The other picture, I have been told, is of my mothers co-workers. I was told that she worked in a Spice Factory.
In the confirmation picture my mother Flora Steffan is in the middle row, the first person on the left. And in the other picture Flora is in the first row, the third person from the left.
I would appreciate it if anyone could help me in identifying some of the people or places in the picture.
My grandparents originally came to Canada, Manitoba then Saskatchewan, from Russia, Samara Germans, which I am told falls under the umbrella of the Volga Germans. Their villages were directly north of Samara. They moved to Oregon shortly after a close friend, a Lutheran Pastor, Pastor Merz, retired there. He retired to Canby, Oregon. My mother always told us this was her confirmation class in Oregon. They lived in Portland for the years 1924 until June 1925 at 397 Morris Street.
I hope that helps.
Lucille Walesiak, April 2009
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Can you identify this house? It may have been the home of Clarence William Hein.
Photograph of the Hergert/Linker families. We are sure of the identity of the Hergert's and were told by an aunt who the Melcher's, Linker's, and others were. Please contact me if you know the identity of other people in the photograph or if you have corrections.
My family left Germany in July 14, 1956 from Bremerhaven, the ship’s name was General Langfit (could be spelled Longfit). We traveled with another German family that eventually settled somewhere in Oregon. The family’s name is Mandelkopf, Mandelkow or Mandelkoff, not sure of the spelling. A photo of this family is shown above.
My mother would like to contact them since she is up in years. My family left the Volga region in 1933, they settled in Orsha, Belarus; my father was in the Wehrmacht and the family settled in Germany after the war.
Please contact me if you have the time.
Thank you.
Eliot School 8th grade class circa 1929. Photo contributed by Julie Cohan. Please contact Steve Schreiber if you can identify anyone in this photograph.
Please contact Art Lamping if you can identify anyone in this photograph.
The 1917 confirmation class of the Free Evangelical Brethren Church in Portland, Oregon. John Wacker is shown in the front row, second from the left, with hands folded and feet together. John was the son of Philip Wacker and was born on 4 Mar 1902 in Norka and died on 24 Feb 1932. Can you identify other people in this photo? Who is the minister in this photo? Contributed by Dee Price.
Above is a picture of my Grandmother, Katharine Miller (nee Peter) and her three brothers, Adam, Conrad and Jacob. My history for her family is almost nil. My Miller Grandparents were married in Norka on December 8, 1885. I cannot find a Peter(s) in any Norka census. Their father was John and the mothers maiden name was Fehrer. The brothers settled in Portland and Conrad and Adam were tailors.
I need help identifying people in this photo:
Back Row (L-R): Unknown, Pauline Amelia Kniss (b. 9/26/1909 – Portland), Clara Emma Bergner (b. 2/3/1908 – Portland), Unknown
Front Row (L-R): Unknown, Unknown, Unknown
This looks like a church confirmation class to me, but that’s just a guess. Does anyone recognize the unknown people shown in the photo? Any idea about where the photo was taken and when? My Kniss line comes from Norka. My Bergner line comes from Germany.
Thanks for any help,
I am attempting to find information information about the Shogren sisters who were supposedly in the clothing (I don't know if retail or manufacturing)...can you help?
Shannon Moon Leonetti (503) 219-9445
These photographs portray unknown German Russians in Portland. Please contact Scott Bolliger if you have any information about these images.
I believe that this is a photo of The Krieger, Scheideman or Winter family. It was given to me by the granddaughter of Daniel Krieger and Eva Winter, my great grandparents. She thought it was a photo of Phillip Krieger's (my great-great grandfather) parents, Johannes Krieger and Anna Elizabeth Becker. I cannot read what it says at the bottom of the photo except Portland, Oregon. It also appears to show the name of the photography studio.
Please contact me if you can identify people in this photo.
I am looking for Catharine Elizabeth Krieger, b. Jan. 9, 1882, Norka, m. Johannes Bauer (b. Oct. 9, 1879, Norka) on Sept. 14, 1900 in Norka. The "Bauer" Pleve chart shows a daughter Anna Elisabeth Bauer b. Oct. 21, 1900 in Beideck. Johannes (John) Bauer was my grandfather's brother. I believe John & Catherine Elizabeth Krieger immigrated to Portland. I have been unable to locate anything on this couple searching through John's name. I'm hoping someone will recognize his wife and/or their daughter. Thanks so much for any information you can provide.
Just before August 1913, John W. Lind and his wife Amelia Marguerite (daughter of John and Marguerite Streck of Doenhof) arrived in Portland. Amelia's (Molly) home was Doenhof. John W. Lind's parents were from Norka and they had immigrated around 1880's to Colorado. Amelia was pregnant with twin boys. Remembering that Amelia was only 4'11", carry twins must have been difficult and I a ship to boot. Like all the other German's from Russia, they settled in the Albina area. I know very little about their life there, except I believe John was a street car driver. Although only one twin survived, the family was to later be blessed with three more boys. The boys were Edward, Albert, Walter and Robert Lind. Amelia was a cook for sometime at the old Farmer's Market in downtown Portland. I remember "Nana Lind" telling me that her father had be the headmaster of the school in Doenhof. In 1920, I believe they lived at 120 Knott Street, or that is what it looks like in the census records. In 1930, I don't find any census listing, but I know they were in Portland.
My children and I have such fond memories of "Nana" and it would be so wonderful to find someone that might have a picture of her. Her son's have all passed away and we have lost all contact with the remaining cousins.
Please contact me if you have a photograph of Molly Lind (nee Streck).
Sincerely yours,
PO Box 4353
South Colby, WA 98384
Seeking the identity of the family in this photograph from the collection of EMMA FEUERSTEIN HEIDENREICH (born Norka, Russia 21 Dec 1885, died Lincoln, NE 03 July 1942). They could possibly be some of her BREHM or FEUERSTEIN relatives. The only caption information is the photographer's name (Shanafelt, Artist) and location information (Cottage Grove, Oregon).
If you can help identify this family please contact:
Kearney, NE
308-865-8721
I am searching for any information on Conrad and Catherine Kniss. 1920 Census has them living at 937 Kerby St. They had 8 children the first 4 born in Russia. My Grandmother was the 7th Child. Both Conrad and Catherine are buried at Rose City Cemetery. Any information or photos would be an answer to prayers.
Contact Joe Jones if you have information on Elizabeth Lehr.
Please contact Jackie Stoner if you can identify anyone in these photographs. The family shown in the photograph on top is believed to be from Norka and settled in Portland. The second photograph shows the wedding of ???
Top right: John H. Giebelhaus and Elizabeth Lehr. I am looking for information on Elizabeth Lehr.
Bottom right: A great grandmother, Margarethe Kaiser (John Giebelhaus's mother) with Dorothy Virginia (nee Jones) Hacker on the farm in Berthoud, Colorado.
Contact Joe Jones if you have information on these families.
My great uncle and his wife were members of the Ebenezer Congregational Church. His name was Conrad Besel and his wife was Mary (Weber) Besel. They died in 1960 and 1964 respectfully. I would like to find any pictures or information about them.
My grandmother passed down a recipe that she said was in the family for a "long time." We always called it ba-ka (phonetically spelled). I have later discovered that most other Germans from Russia call it Kuchen. It is the sweet bread dough spread out like a pizza, then filled with a custard, usually sliced apples on top or mixed with cottage cheese. Then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and baked.
So where does the name ba-ka come from? Then, I read an article in AHSGR which mentioned a nursery rhyme called "Backe, Backe Kuchen" which is about "mixing the coffeecake." So I am wondering, if our name for this dessert came from the nursery rhyme, and I am wondering if anyone else has ever called this recipe Backe? I would be interested in hearing from anyone who may have the words to this song (please, translation also - my German is weak) or has heard of this kind of Kuchen being called Backe.
Thank you,
La Pine, OR
I've been told that the two women in white (upper left and lower right) are Elizabeth and Katherine Pauly who were twins. They "think" the picture was taken about 1917.
No one knows who anyone else in the photo is. Could you please put this picture on the website?
I would be glad if people would contact me with any information they have about this photo (including date).
Thank you,
Kris Dillman
Contact Steve Schreiber regarding this photograph
This is a photograph of my great uncle and aunt -- Fred and Elizabeth (Lizzie) (nee Haun) Stricker -- they lived in the Portland area since probably around 1930's. Fred was very active in the Brotherhood. We believe that he worked as a custodian in later life. Lizzie was a sister to Amalia Johannes -- She is supposed to have worked in a school cafeteria. After Fred's death in 1966, Lizzie married Peter Will -- Pastor Gyrog was the minister who conducted her funeral. She died in 1975. I would like to have any information about Fred and Lizzie-- where they worked, friends, Lizzie's family, their activities at church -- they did not have any children and I am working on a family book. Thanks for the help.
Searching for the Hilderman family from Portland
Please contact Linda Reed.
I am a clarinetist, and would love to temporarily borrow copies of the Billy Starkel recordings. My purpose is to make digital copies, electronically clean them up, then make available to the world at german-russian-portal.org or other site if the site is an issue. Any ideas??
Many thanks in advance,
Terry Sterkel
Contact:
mailto:billy-starkel-project@german-russian-portal.org
I would like to have a photograph of Fred and Elizabeth Stricker. They were members of a German Russian church in Portland that no longer exists and may have merged with another church. Fred was active in the Brotherhood and was born 26 Oct 1886. He died 20 Mar 1966.
I would like a photograph of Alexander Steinmetz was born 11 Oct 1884 in Brunnental and died 26 Feb 1932 in Portland, Oregon. Alexander was married to Katie (nee Fuchs) Buxman. Thanks for your help. Contact Roberta Wilder
I would like to identify any of the people is in this photo. If you can help, please contact Marcia Staunton.
Volga German children, in Russian attire, playing at a homestead in the Albina district. Contact Steve Schreiber if you can identify these children.
Contact Steve Schreiber if you can identify these children.
Unknown Volga Germans in NE Portland. Possibly a Krieger family. Can you identify these people? Contact Steve Schreiber.