Mary Heimbigner
Maria "Mary" Heimbigner was born in Frank, Russia, about 1874, the daughter of Conrad Heimbigner (born 1836) and Anna Maria Kiehn (born 1838). Mary was the ninth of ten children born in Russia.
The Heimbigner family emigrated from Russia in 1878. They departed from Hamburg, Germany, on the steamship Wieland on May 22, 1878, and arrived in New York.
The family first settled near Hastings, Nebraska, where another son, Adam, was born. The Heimbigners were part of the 1882 wagon train that journeyed to the Pacific Northwest. Most wagon train families settled in Eastern Washington, but some traveled to Oregon. Conrad Heimbigner's obituary states that he lived in Oregon for some time.
The Heimbigner family emigrated from Russia in 1878. They departed from Hamburg, Germany, on the steamship Wieland on May 22, 1878, and arrived in New York.
The family first settled near Hastings, Nebraska, where another son, Adam, was born. The Heimbigners were part of the 1882 wagon train that journeyed to the Pacific Northwest. Most wagon train families settled in Eastern Washington, but some traveled to Oregon. Conrad Heimbigner's obituary states that he lived in Oregon for some time.
Portrait photograph of the Heimbigner Family. Mary is shown seated to the far right.
Between 1889 and 1892, Mary was listed as a domestic in the Albina City Directory. No other family members are listed, indicating they resided outside the city or in Eastern Washington.
Some evidence suggests that Mary married a man named Maier (Meyer or Meier?), and she passed away in California around 1936.
Some evidence suggests that Mary married a man named Maier (Meyer or Meier?), and she passed away in California around 1936.
Sources
Passenger lists, Portland City Directories, U.S. Censuses - Ancestry.com
Scheuerman, Richard D., and Clifford E. Trafzer. Hardship to Homeland Pacific Northwest Volga Germans. Pullman, WA: Washington State UP, 2018. Print.
Scheuerman, Richard D., and Clifford E. Trafzer. Hardship to Homeland Pacific Northwest Volga Germans. Pullman, WA: Washington State UP, 2018. Print.
Last updated October 8, 2025