People > Our People > Adam and Catherine Leichner​

Adam and Catherine Leichner

By Marc Trueb

​Adam Leichner and Catherine Maria (née Justus) had three sons - Philip, George, and Conrad. They also had one daughter, Helen Christina. All were born in the colony of Huck in Saratov Province. All four children immigrated to the United States, but their parents did not leave Russia and may have been deceased when their children came over.

My family said my great-grandfather, Conrad, knew what was coming in Russia and felt they had to leave. He had been conscripted into the Russian Army and I have a large picture of him, in an oval frame, in his Russian uniform. Conrad's family came to the United States in 1907. Conrad's brother Philip was already in the United States and possibly encouraged him to come.

A hand colored photograph on cardboard of Conrad Leichner in his Russian army uniform. Courtesy of the Leichner family.

​My great-grandfather also helped his in-laws to emigrate. Their names were Lorenz Luther and Catherine E. Lofing (Lofink), my great-great grandparents. Lorenz was a watchman for the railroad for several years but then was stricken with dementia. They lived next door to Conrad and Margaret and brought a huge brass samovar from Russia. The samovar is still owned by a family member.

Lawrence Luther and wife Catherine Elizabeth Lofing Luther. The Luther's are our great great grandparents. They were parents of Margaret Luther Leichner, our great grandmother. They also had children: Adam, Magdalena, Phillip and Katherina. Lawrence and Catherine lived next door to Conrad and daughter Margaret Leichner just off of NE 14th and Fremont in Portland. It is behind or to the side of Whole Foods, I think. Photograph and caption courtesy of Marc Trueb.

This samovar was brought by Lawrence Luther from Russia. It was given to one of their daughter's, who married a Neiderhaus and then passed down through their family. Photograph and caption courtesy of Marc Trueb.

​Philip Leichner, the first of the children listed above, had 5 children. One of his sons was also named Philip. He is pictured in the photo with the garbage truck (see below). This side of the family had a large garbage hauling business and had a dump site in Vancouver until just a few years ago. There are several descendants from both Philip Leichner's. Some still live in the Vancouver, Washington area. The first Philip came to the U.S. in 1903.

Philip Leichner with new garbage truck. Courtesy of Marie Trupp Krieger.

​My great-grandfather, Conrad Leichner, was Philip's brother. Conrad was a builder and constructed several homes in Portland.

Conrad Leichner built homes for several Volga Germans: Henry Geist (1910), Mr. Hergert (1910), Conrad Yost (1913), George Hohnstein (1924), Peter Miller (1911), L. Schnell (1914), George Schreiber (1910), P. Schreiber (1910) and John Spady (1910). These names are from building permits drawn and recorded in The Oregonian Newspaper.

George Schreiber home built by Conrad Leichner. The home still stands at 6452 NE 32nd and Rosa Parks, near the former Concordia University site. Courtesy of Steve Schreiber.

Conrad Leichner and Margaret Leichner (nee Luther) with children Elizabeth and Conrad Jr. in Portland, Oregon. Photograph courtesy of Marc Trueb.

Photograph of the Conrad and Margaret Leichner family taken in Portland, Oregon. From left to right: Margaret, Alvin (on Conrad's lap), Conrad Jr., Betty, Edith (died shortly after this photo), Phillip, Marie, and John Leichner. Photograph courtesy of Marc Trueb.

Conrad, Elizabeth, Conrad Jr., Margaret and baby Marie in Portland, Oregon. The Leichner family was from Huck, Russia. Photograph courtesy of Marc Trueb.

​My grandfather, John Leichner, also learned the construction trade from his dad, and they built several places together. They built the family home at 775 E 14th Street, just off NE Fremont Street in Portland. I know of another house they built just across the street from this one. They also built a huge barn way out on Sandy Blvd. The barn was still standing until a few years ago. I have a barn that is 36 feet tall and 56 feet long, but the barn Conrad and John built eclipses mine. My grandfather John took my grandmother, Vivian, to see this barn on their first date.

John Leichner - son of Conrad and Margaret Leichner. Photograph courtesy of Marc Trueb.

Johannes (John) Leichner confirmation certificate dated 10 April 1922. Pastor Hagelganz of the Second German Congregation Church signed this. Document courtesy of Marc Trueb.

John and Vivian (Zook) Leichner. Photograph courtesy of Marc Trueb

​Interestingly, my great-grandfather spoke very little English and did not drive, yet he had a thriving construction business. All his business calculations were done on an abacus, which my grandmother gave me when my grandfather died in 1979.

My grandfather's cousin, Marie Schreiber (née Niederhaus), once showed me some letters from Russia sent here during the terrible period of starvation in the early 1920s. They begged for the family to send food and told of many friends and family members dying. According to the translation, the letter claimed that some had eaten my great-great-grandfather. She also had receipts showing packages, and money was sent to help those in Russia. After this time, they quit hearing from relatives in Huck. They supposedly were sent to Siberia.

My great-grandparents and their family were founding members of the Second German Congregational Church at NE 8th and Skidmore. I have a sad photo of this church and my entire family inside. It was a funeral for Conrad and Margaret Leichner’s oldest son, also Conrad. He was killed after he grabbed onto a milk truck while on roller skates and collided with a telephone pole when the truck rounded a corner. I think he was about 12 years old. Long ago, an older relative of mine wrote all the names of the people in the photo on the back. It is a rather macabre photo with Conrad in an open casket, with everyone looking very sad. It is the only photo of young Conrad. He and the rest of the family are buried at the Rose City Cemetery.

Funeral of Conrad Leichner, son of Conrad and Margaret Leichner. He died after grabbing on to a milk truck and then being crushed between a telephone pole and the truck. He lived for about a day after the accident and died from internal injuries. He is buried at Rose City Cemetery. This is the entire Leichner and Luther family along with some Niederhaus family members. My great great grandfather Lawrence Luther is immediately behind casket. Conrad Leichner is behind him and to his left. Margaret Leichner is to the left of Conrad. Elizabeth (Betty) Leichner, the girl with the bow, is in front of Margaret. Marie Leichner is to the right of Elizabeth. Phillip Leichner is standing right in front of Elizabeth (he is blurred). Alvin Leichner is standing right next to the casket and just in front of Phillip. John Leichner, my grandfather, is standing next to Alvin. The next child born to Margaret and Conrad Leichner would be be named Conrad Leichner. The man to the far right of the photo is George Leichner, Conrad's brother. Conrad and George's brother Phillip is also in attendance and their sister Helen Christina. Photograph and caption courtesy of Marc Trueb.

---

Sources

Information and photographs courtesy of Marc Trueb, the grandson of John and Vivian Leichner, August 2011.

Last updated October 26, 2023