THE VOLGA GERMANS IN PORTLAND
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People > Pioneers > Peter and Sophia Schreiber

Peter and Sophia Schreiber

Peter Schreiber was born in Norka, Russia on August 17, 1856, the son of Heinrich (Henry) Schreiber (born 1826) and Elizabeth Spady (born 1829).
In 1875, Peter emigrated from Russia, along with his parents and his siblings George and Heinrich. The Schreiber's had no doubt heard the positive reports from two scouts from Norka, Johannes Krieger and Johannes Nolde, who had visited the United States in 1874.

Sailing from Liverpool, the family arrived in New York on June 28, 1875 aboard the City of Brussels. The Schreiber's were part of a small group from Norka that included seven families who were among the first Volga Germans to settle in the United States.

The Schreiber's and other members of the group originally settled in Bluffton, Ohio.
Bluffton, Ohio station
The Schreiber family arrived in Bluffton, Ohio in 1875 and it is likely that they disembarked at this station which served the community until 1899. The old structure remained across the tracks from the newer station which was built in 1899. The photo shows the old station not long before it was torn down. Courtesy of the Ohio Railroad Stations Past & Present website.
About 1877, Peter married Sophia (Sophie) Elizabeth Fischer who was born in Saratov, Russia on September 16, 1857.

The family moved to North Franklin Township, Nebraska before 1878. A daughter, Katherine M., was born in April of that year. A son, Joseph, was born about 1880.

Sometime after 1880, the entire family traveled to Oregon, where some members settled in North Plains (near Hillsboro).

A daughter, Louise, was born in Oregon on about 1887.

In 1891, Peter was living in Albina on the north side of Sellwood street (now NE Graham Avenue), one lot east of Vancouver Avenue.

The family patriarch, Henry Schreiber died March 16, 1891.

A son, John, was born in August 1893.

In 1900, the family was living at 123 Russell Street and Peter was working for the section laborer for the railroad.

Peter's mother, Elizabeth, was living with him by early 1904 and she died on April 14, 1904 in Portland and is buried at the Lone Fir Cemetery.

Another son, Frederick, was born about 1905. In 1910, the family is living on Russell St. and Peter is working for a street railway and Sophie is doing laundry for a private family. Peter is still working as a trackman for a railway in 192o at the age of 64. 

The 1930 census shows Peter and Sophie living in South Bend, Washington, near their daughter Katherine.

Peter died on June 28, 1933 in Portland.

Sophia died on June 20, 1939, in Portland at the age of 81. She is buried at the Columbian Cemetery in North Portland.

Sources

Information contributed by Tracey Saucy.

Haynes, Emma S. "Passenger List." Journal of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (Spring 1979): 68. Print.

Williams, Hattie Plum. The Czar's Germans: With Particular Reference to the Volga Germans. Ed. Emma S. Haynes, Phillip B. Legler, and Gerda Stroh. Walker. Lincoln, Neb.: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1975. Print.

U.S. Census lists - Ancestry.com

The Historical Oregonian, 1861-1987.
Last updated November 5, 2017.
Copyright © 1998-2022 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