George Jack Hohnstein and Leona Mae Freauff
George Jack Hohnstein was born May 25, 1913, in Portland, Oregon. His parents, Heinrich Hohnstein (1884-1956) and Catharina Margaretha “Alice” Seder Hohnstein (1883-1976), had recently immigrated from Norka, Russia, to America on March 19, 1913, with their three children, Amalia, Heinrich, and John. Their destination was Portland, Oregon.
Leona Mae Freauff Hohnstein and George Jack Hohnstein on August 25, 1968. Photograph courtesy of Georgia Hohnstein Conway.
In 1916 and 1917, George, his parents, and siblings lived at 758 E. 13th (now 3602 NE 13th). From 1918 to 1920, they lived at 532 Beech (now 1136 Beech), then in 1929 at 842 N. 12th (now 3968 NE 12th). Henry and Alice had four more children: Lena Elizabeth “Marie” (1915-1984), Clarence Ray (1918-1998), Genevieve Laverne (1921-2000), and Kenneth Henry (1925-2012).
George was confirmed at Zion Congregational Church on April 17, 1927. George completed grammar school and attended Benson Polytechnic for one year to learn the printing trade. During his teenage years, he worked in his father’s business as a “scavenger” or, more politely, “garbage hauler.” He developed a “garbage bump” on his shoulder during this time as garbage trucks did not have a side opening. All trash had to be lifted into the trucks over the high walls.
Leona Mae Freauff was born December 7, 1915, in Berthoud, Colorado. Her parents were George Freauff (1883-1976) and Christina Kaiser (1884-1973), both born in Norka, Russia. Her parents came to America on January 11, 1908, settling in Nebraska and then onto Colorado, where her family raised sugar beets. My mother said hoeing beets was the hardest chore on the farm. As a young girl, my mother remembered having fun being ridden around the farm in a baby buggy pushed by her older siblings. When she misbehaved, her punishment was dusting all their indoor plants. Leona went to school through 8th grade. Her parents then moved to Portland, Oregon, in about 1933. Portland was a well-established Volga German community with several Norka relatives living there.
Since both George and Leona’s parents came from Norka, Russia, and their relatives were living in Portland, it’s no wonder that George and Leona met and fell in love. They were married on October 5, 1935, in Vancouver, Clark, Washington. Their first son, George Eugene, was born in Portland on October 25, 1936. They were living with George’s parents at 3968 NE 12th, and George was working as a press feeder at Columbia Paper Products. In 1939, they moved into a house at 4072 NE 10th and had another son, Gordon Wayne Hohnstein, born August 11, 1939. In 1940, George’s WW II Draft Registration lists his residence as 4915 NE 34th St. George wasn’t enlisted to serve as he had an enlarged heart due to a childhood illness. As a farm girl, my mother never much liked city life, so they bought a home outside the city limits of Portland at 1221 NE 118th St. on April 1st, 1947. It was a small post-war “cottage” on a big lot where my mother would grow a large vegetable garden every summer and then would “put up” or “can” all the produce. I was born on October 19th of that year. My father later added a room off the kitchen and installed concrete washtubs for the electric wringer washer. There was also a metal shower in one corner and storage shelves for canned goods. I remember my dad making homemade root beer in that room, which we called the “back porch.” My mom kept her pet canaries and parakeets there. Later, my dad built a garage set back from the house, a patio, and a goldfish pond under our weeping willow tree.
Ours was a typical 1950s family where my mother was a housewife, and my father worked at a job. My father worked at Grigsby Brothers Paper Box Manufacturing as a printing foreman by then. In those years, whatever item one bought at a department store was put into a fancy box and tied up with ribbon. My dad would bring home beautiful embossed end rolls of paper for wrapping gifts. My mother supplemented his income by sewing band uniforms for accordion and other music groups. She had taken the Bishop’s Method home sewing course and was an excellent seamstress. She would also make clothes for my brothers and me (and my dolls). On occasion, mom would cook traditional German food – bierocks, strawberry glace, fruit soup, and Riwwelkuchen, which my mother called Sunday bread. We never took what could be considered “vacations,” but we would go for Sunday drives, visit my dad’s parents in Portland, or drive to Yakima, Washington, to visit my mother’s parents on some weekends. My dad bought the first black and white television on our block, and neighbors would come to marvel at this new invention!
After being married for 42 years, George and Leona divorced on June 28, 1976. Although they lived apart, they still cared for each other in small ways. My mom didn’t drive, so my dad would take her to doctor’s appointments or the store, and my mom would mend or alter his clothing as needed. Many years of sharing their lives showed in their continuing dependence on each other.
My dad retired from Grigsby’s in 1978. He passed away on November 24, 1985, in Troutdale, Oregon, and is buried with his parents at Rose City Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.
After the divorce, my mom worked in the kitchen at a nearby nursing home and then at our local Albertson’s in the bakery department, retiring in 1980. Leona passed away May 7, 1994, in Portland, Oregon, and is buried near her parents at Sunnyside Memorial Gardens, Sunnyside, Washington.
George was confirmed at Zion Congregational Church on April 17, 1927. George completed grammar school and attended Benson Polytechnic for one year to learn the printing trade. During his teenage years, he worked in his father’s business as a “scavenger” or, more politely, “garbage hauler.” He developed a “garbage bump” on his shoulder during this time as garbage trucks did not have a side opening. All trash had to be lifted into the trucks over the high walls.
Leona Mae Freauff was born December 7, 1915, in Berthoud, Colorado. Her parents were George Freauff (1883-1976) and Christina Kaiser (1884-1973), both born in Norka, Russia. Her parents came to America on January 11, 1908, settling in Nebraska and then onto Colorado, where her family raised sugar beets. My mother said hoeing beets was the hardest chore on the farm. As a young girl, my mother remembered having fun being ridden around the farm in a baby buggy pushed by her older siblings. When she misbehaved, her punishment was dusting all their indoor plants. Leona went to school through 8th grade. Her parents then moved to Portland, Oregon, in about 1933. Portland was a well-established Volga German community with several Norka relatives living there.
Since both George and Leona’s parents came from Norka, Russia, and their relatives were living in Portland, it’s no wonder that George and Leona met and fell in love. They were married on October 5, 1935, in Vancouver, Clark, Washington. Their first son, George Eugene, was born in Portland on October 25, 1936. They were living with George’s parents at 3968 NE 12th, and George was working as a press feeder at Columbia Paper Products. In 1939, they moved into a house at 4072 NE 10th and had another son, Gordon Wayne Hohnstein, born August 11, 1939. In 1940, George’s WW II Draft Registration lists his residence as 4915 NE 34th St. George wasn’t enlisted to serve as he had an enlarged heart due to a childhood illness. As a farm girl, my mother never much liked city life, so they bought a home outside the city limits of Portland at 1221 NE 118th St. on April 1st, 1947. It was a small post-war “cottage” on a big lot where my mother would grow a large vegetable garden every summer and then would “put up” or “can” all the produce. I was born on October 19th of that year. My father later added a room off the kitchen and installed concrete washtubs for the electric wringer washer. There was also a metal shower in one corner and storage shelves for canned goods. I remember my dad making homemade root beer in that room, which we called the “back porch.” My mom kept her pet canaries and parakeets there. Later, my dad built a garage set back from the house, a patio, and a goldfish pond under our weeping willow tree.
Ours was a typical 1950s family where my mother was a housewife, and my father worked at a job. My father worked at Grigsby Brothers Paper Box Manufacturing as a printing foreman by then. In those years, whatever item one bought at a department store was put into a fancy box and tied up with ribbon. My dad would bring home beautiful embossed end rolls of paper for wrapping gifts. My mother supplemented his income by sewing band uniforms for accordion and other music groups. She had taken the Bishop’s Method home sewing course and was an excellent seamstress. She would also make clothes for my brothers and me (and my dolls). On occasion, mom would cook traditional German food – bierocks, strawberry glace, fruit soup, and Riwwelkuchen, which my mother called Sunday bread. We never took what could be considered “vacations,” but we would go for Sunday drives, visit my dad’s parents in Portland, or drive to Yakima, Washington, to visit my mother’s parents on some weekends. My dad bought the first black and white television on our block, and neighbors would come to marvel at this new invention!
After being married for 42 years, George and Leona divorced on June 28, 1976. Although they lived apart, they still cared for each other in small ways. My mom didn’t drive, so my dad would take her to doctor’s appointments or the store, and my mom would mend or alter his clothing as needed. Many years of sharing their lives showed in their continuing dependence on each other.
My dad retired from Grigsby’s in 1978. He passed away on November 24, 1985, in Troutdale, Oregon, and is buried with his parents at Rose City Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.
After the divorce, my mom worked in the kitchen at a nearby nursing home and then at our local Albertson’s in the bakery department, retiring in 1980. Leona passed away May 7, 1994, in Portland, Oregon, and is buried near her parents at Sunnyside Memorial Gardens, Sunnyside, Washington.
Sources
This article and accompanying photograph was contributed by Georgia Hohnstein Conway.
Last updated October 26, 2023