THE VOLGA GERMANS IN PORTLAND
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Religion > People > Notables > Heinrich Reisbich

Johann Heinrich Reisbich

Johann Heinrich (Henry) Reisbich (Reisbick) was born in Norka, Russia, on March 19, 1841, the son of Peter Reisbich and Margareta Dinges. 

Henry married Catharine Elizabeth Bauer on January 23, 1862, in Norka. Henry and Catherine had five children in Russia who migrated with them to America. Four other children died as infants. 

Henry, Catherine, and their children immigrated to the United States on June 5, 1878, aboard the steamship Weiland, which arrived in New York harbor.

The family first settled near Sutton, Nebraska, where they are listed in the 1880 U.S. Census. A daughter, Katherine (Kate), was born in Nebraska in December 1881. Two other children were born in the United States, but their names are unknown.

The family later moved near Hastings, Nebraska, where they are listed on the 1900 U.S. Census. Daughter Kate married Conrad Heinrich Urbach in 1900. Henry became a Mennonite pastor while living in Nebraska. The church register he maintained, and the chalice he used for communion are currently held by the Nebraska Historical Society. A copy of the church register was also made by Marilyn and Jon Schunke.

Shortly after this time, the Reisbich and Urbach families moved to Portland, Oregon, where they were shown living together in 1910.

In 1901, Henry became the leader of the First United Mennonite Baptist Church, following its founder, Heinrich Helser. Henry led the construction of a new church building at 3524 NE 6th Avenue in 1910. Membership in the congregation was 37 people in 1912. Henry served the congregation until 1913.

Henry and Catherine lived with daughter Kate and son-in-law Conrad at 371 Fremont Street in 1910.


​Henry's wife, Kate, died on June 1, 1914.​ Her headstone incorrectly indicates that she died in 1909.

​Henry's son-in-law, Conrad Heinrich Urbach, would later lead the First United Mennonite Baptist Church from 1926-1934.
​
John Henry Reisbich died in 1925 and is buried in a family plot at the Champoeg Cemetery in Aurora, Oregon. Conrad Heinrich Urbach is buried in the same plot.
Grave marker for Johann Heinrich Reisbock at the Champoeg Cemetery
Grave marker for Johann Heinrich Reisbick at the Champoeg Cemetery. Source: Steven Schreiber.
The Reisbick and Urbach burial plot at Champoeg Cemetery.
The Reisbick and Urbach burial plot at Champoeg Cemetery. Source: Steven Schreiber.

Sources

Ancestry.com

Norka database

Marilyn and Jon Schunke. Jon is the great-grandson of Johann Heinrich Reisbick.
Last updated October 22, 2023
Copyright © 1998-2026 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
      • First German Congregational Church (Ebenezer)
      • 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
    • Church Music
  • 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
    • Professional Services
    • 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