THE VOLGA GERMANS IN PORTLAND
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People > Our People > Jacob and Amalie Erdman

Jacob and Amalie Erdman

Georg Jacob Erdman was born March 17, 1882 in Grimm, Russia. He served with distinction in the Russian military and received a certificate of recognition from the government (see image below). He married Amalia Velte and they immigrated to the United States in 1913, settling in Portland, Oregon.

​Georg Jacob (now known as Jacob) found work as a boiler maker in the Albina railroad shops. By the 1940s, Jacob was working as a watchmaker for Lipman Wolfe & Co. in downtown Portland. For many years they lived at 3917 NE 8th Avenue.

Jacob and Amalie (Mollie) had two children born in Russia: Emma and Alexander. Six more children were born in Oregon: Amalie, August, Mary, Emily, Jacob and Walter.

Jacob was leading member of the St. Paul's Evangelical and Reformed Church, serving as the Church Chairman for 25 years or more. On December 24, 1938, a mural canvas painting, 6 ft. high and 12 ft. wide, created by a well-known Portland artist, Colista Dowling, was presented and dedicated by the eight children of Jacob and Amalia Erdman as a lasting tribute to their parents.

Jacob Erdman died on November 17, 1964.
Jacob Erdman
Portrait of Jacob Erdman in his Russian military uniform. Courtesy of Valerie Miller.
Georg Erdman military certificate
This is an official document given to Georgiy Erdman (German spelling of the name would be Georg Erdmann) to attest that during his four years of military service as a "noncombatant private" he exhibited "excellent behavior and performed his duties in good faith (aka diligently)". The document was issued on April 4, 1907, by a Lieutenant Colonel (name starts with a D) who was the director/supervisor of the Artillery Office of the St. Petersburg artillery storage facility." Source: Valerie Miller. Translation: Tanja Schell.
Jacob and Amalie Erdman family
From left to right: August Erdman, Jacob Erdman, Alexander Erdman, Emma Erdman, Amelia (Molly) Erdman, Amelia (Grandma) Erdman, baby Mary Erdman. Photograph courtesy of Russ Erdman, the grandson of Jacob Erdman.
Jacob Erdman and grandchildren
Jacob Erdman and his eight grandchildren at the St. Paul's Evangelical and Reformed Church. Photograph courtesy of Russ Erdman.

Sources

​Valerie Miller

1920 and 1930 U.S. Census - Ancestry.com

World War II Registration Card - Ancestry.com
Last updated December 12, 2019.
Copyright © 1998-2023 Steven H. Schreiber
  • Home
    • About This Website
    • Reviews
  • 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