THE VOLGA GERMANS IN PORTLAND
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People > Our People > Georg and Magdalena Schnell

Georg and Magdalena Schnell

Georg Philipp Schnell was born in ​Norka, Russia​, on February 5, 1883, the son of Conrad Nicholas Schnell (born 1847) and Catharina Hein (born 1848 in Huck, Russia). Georg Philipp Schnell was commonly known as George or John George.

George's father, Conrad Nicholas Schnell, died in Russia in October 1897.

George's mother, Catharina, came to the United States in August 1899 with George and his brother Peter. They sailed from the port of Bremen, Germany and arrived in Baltimore. After arriving in Portland, Oregon, Catharina lived with her son George and his family.

In October 1910, George married Magdalena (Lena) Helzer, born in Norka on December 8, 1888. They were blessed with a son, Nicholas, born on July 12, 1911 in Portland. Six more children would follow: George, John, Elizabeth, Pauline, Edward, and Orville.

In the 1910 and 1920 U.S. Census, this family is shown living at 833 East 7th Street North. George is listed as a "Teamster" and "Scavenger" who owns a wagon (1910) and a truck (1920). A 1921 City Directory shows their address as 827 East 7th Street North (now 3947 NE 7th Avenue). This is the adjoining lot to 833 East 7th North, now 3957 NE 7th.

Catharina Schnell died in Portland in 1924 and is buried at the Rose City Cemetery.

George died in Portland in 1943.

In 1985, Magdalena died in Eugene, Oregon.
George Schnell family
From left to right: Georg Schnell (born 1883), Catharina Schnell (née Hein, born 1849), Nicholas Schnell (born 1911), Magdalena Schnell (née Helzer, born 1888). Photograph taken in Portland, Oregon in 1912. The current address is 3947 NE 7th. Photograph courtesy of Ann Schnell Dodd.
George Schnell Family
From left to right: Georg Schnell (born 1883), Catharina Schnell (née Hein, born 1848), Magdalena Schnell (née Helzer, born 1888). Photograph taken in Portland, Oregon and provided courtesy of Ann Schnell Dodd.

Sources

Ann Dodd (née Schnell), August 2013.

Ancestry.com
Last updated October 26, 2023
Copyright © 1998-2025 Steven H. Schreiber
  • Home
    • About This Website
    • Kind Words
    • Contact Us
  • History
    • Historical Timeline
    • Migration to Russia
    • Emigration from Russia
    • Settlement in America
    • Migration to Portland
    • Little Russia
    • A Short History of Albina
    • World War I
    • The Volga Relief Society >
      • Portland Volga Relief Society Subscribers 1921
    • World War II
    • Assimilation and Dispersion
  • Beliefs
    • Churches >
      • Albina Seventh-day Adventist Church
      • First United Mennonite Baptist Church
      • Ebenezer German Congregational Church
      • Free Evangelical Brethren Church >
        • German Evangelical Congregational Brethren Church
      • Second German Baptist Church
      • St. Pauls Evangelical and Reformed Church
      • Second German Congregational Church >
        • Evangelical Congregational Church
      • Zion German Congregational Church >
        • Rivercrest Community Church
    • Pastors
    • The Brethren
    • Denominations >
      • German Reformed Church
      • German Evangelical Synod of North America
      • Evangelical and Reformed Church
      • German Congregational Church
      • Seventh-day Adventists
      • United Church of Christ
  • People
    • Our People
    • Notables
    • Pioneers 1881-1892
    • Stories
    • Photographs
    • Help Identify These People
  • Community
    • Characteristics
    • Businesses >
      • Bakeries Retailers and Services
      • Garbage Haulers
      • Grocery and Meat Markets
      • Restaurants >
        • Helsers on Alberta
        • McCormick & Schmicks
        • Wildwood
      • Saloons and Taverns
      • Suppliers and Manufacturers
    • Employers
    • Education
    • Sports
    • Maps
    • Documentary
  • Traditions
    • Foods
    • Folk Medicine
    • Expressions
    • Weddings
    • Holidays
    • Folk Music
    • Funerals and Burial Sites
  • Resources
    • Family Research
    • Books and Video
    • Works Cited