Betty Niederhaus and Marie Schreiber (born Niederhaus) Interview
Marie Schreiber (born Niederhaus) was born in Portland on October 14, 1913. She married Carl Max Schreiber (born in Germany) on July 26, 1931. She died on December 20, 2006, and was buried at the Rose City Cemetery in Portland.
Elizabeth (Betty) Niederhaus was born in Portland on July 3, 1925, and died on November 15, 2005.
Betty and Marie Niederhaus are the daughters of Adam Niederhaus, born September 19. 1881 in Huck, Russia, and Magdalena Luther, born on January 16, 1888, in Saratov, Russia. Adam and Magdalena were married on November 15, 1907, in Huck. They immigrated to the United States in 1912 and settled in Portland. Adam worked for a streetcar company and then as a cabinetmaker for B.P. John and Doernbecher Furniture. Magdalena died on March 16, 1955. Adam died on January 22, 1963. Both were buried at the Rose City Cemetery in Portland.
On May 17, 1981, Betty and Marie were interviewed by Barbara Whittlesey for the Northwest Women's History Project at Betty Niederhaus’s home at 4025 N.E. Garfield in Portland. In this interview, they discuss their family background and early life in Portland. They then discuss their experiences as women marine machinists at the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation. They describe their job duties, talk about the dangers of the job, and speak about the people they worked with. They also discuss the experience of being laid off immediately after the war ended. They talk about their lives after the war, and Niederhaus speaks about working for Jantzen Knitting Mills. They discuss the lower wages they earn as women and share their thoughts on the women’s movement and feminism. The audio cassette tapes and the original transcript of the interview are held by the Oregon Historical Society. An edited version of the transcript was created by Elizabeth Cooksey in 2023 and is posted on the Oregon Historical Society Digital Collections website.
Elizabeth (Betty) Niederhaus was born in Portland on July 3, 1925, and died on November 15, 2005.
Betty and Marie Niederhaus are the daughters of Adam Niederhaus, born September 19. 1881 in Huck, Russia, and Magdalena Luther, born on January 16, 1888, in Saratov, Russia. Adam and Magdalena were married on November 15, 1907, in Huck. They immigrated to the United States in 1912 and settled in Portland. Adam worked for a streetcar company and then as a cabinetmaker for B.P. John and Doernbecher Furniture. Magdalena died on March 16, 1955. Adam died on January 22, 1963. Both were buried at the Rose City Cemetery in Portland.
On May 17, 1981, Betty and Marie were interviewed by Barbara Whittlesey for the Northwest Women's History Project at Betty Niederhaus’s home at 4025 N.E. Garfield in Portland. In this interview, they discuss their family background and early life in Portland. They then discuss their experiences as women marine machinists at the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation. They describe their job duties, talk about the dangers of the job, and speak about the people they worked with. They also discuss the experience of being laid off immediately after the war ended. They talk about their lives after the war, and Niederhaus speaks about working for Jantzen Knitting Mills. They discuss the lower wages they earn as women and share their thoughts on the women’s movement and feminism. The audio cassette tapes and the original transcript of the interview are held by the Oregon Historical Society. An edited version of the transcript was created by Elizabeth Cooksey in 2023 and is posted on the Oregon Historical Society Digital Collections website.
Source
The Oregon Historical Society Digital Collections, Reference code SR9082_Transcript.
Obituaries for Adam Niederhaus, Magdalena Niederhaus (born Luther), and Elizabeth Niederhaus - Ancestry.com.
Obituaries for Adam Niederhaus, Magdalena Niederhaus (born Luther), and Elizabeth Niederhaus - Ancestry.com.
Last updated December 6, 2025