THE VOLGA GERMANS IN PORTLAND
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People > Our People > Peter and Amalia Seder Will

Peter and Amalia (Seder) Will

Peter Will was born in Norka, Russia, on Feb 9, 1885. He was the son of Magdalena Will. At the age of 27, Peter decided to make a long journey from Russia to the United States, looking for a better life and freedom from Russian rule. He departed from Liverpool on May 18, 1912, aboard the steamship Canada and arrived in Quebec, Canada on May 26, 1912. The passenger list records that he was a farm laborer. He took the Grand Trunk Railway from Quebec to Port Huron, Michigan, and was admitted to the United States on June 2, 1912. His final destination was Portland, Oregon, where he was going to his cousin Konrad Schmer at 833 E. 7th.

Amalia Seder was born November 13, 1896 in Norka, Russia. She was the daughter of Heinrich Seder. She was 16 years old when she left Russia. She departed aboard the steamship Canada from Liverpool and arrived at Portland, Maine, on March 19, 1913. She may have been accompanied by a Seder relative, Aulise “Alice” Seder Hohnstein, and her husband, Heinrich “Henry” Hohnstein, listed just below her name on the passenger manifest. Amalia’s final destination was Portland, Oregon, and she was going to her brother-in-law, John Albert (husband of Amalia’s sister, Marguerite Seder) at 794 E. 11th.

Peter Will and Amalia Seder married in Multnomah County, Oregon, on October 25, 1913. Their four children were born in Portland: Molly 1914-1976, Marie 1916-1988, Reuben 1920-1973, and Esther Pauline 1923-2002.

Over the years, Peter worked various jobs to support his family in Portland. In 1917, he worked as a blacksmith, in 1920 as a finisher-photography, between 1930 and 1940 at Doernbecher Furniture as a mechanic, repairer, and cabinetmaker.

At age 49, Amalia Seder Will died on December 4, 1945. She is buried in Rose City Cemetery in Portland.

Peter Will married Elizabeth Haun on September 9, 1967, in Clark County, Washington. She was born September 6, 1890, in Hussenbach, Russia, and died in Portland on October 31, 1975. She was buried at the Rose City Cemetery.
​
Peter died at age 88 on February 23, 1973, and was buried at the Rose City Cemetery.

Sources

This article was contributed by Georgia Hohnstein Conway.
Last updated October 26, 2023
Copyright © 1998-2025 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
    • 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