THE VOLGA GERMANS IN PORTLAND
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Community > Businesses > Retailers and Services > ​Rotary Bread

Rotary Bread

Having made the decision to go the United States, the family of Johann Conrad Jäger (John Yeager) and Magdalena Spady (Lena Spady) departed from Norka, Russia in April of 1901. They traveled to the port of Hamburg, Germany where they departed on the steamship Pennsylvania, bound for New York. John and Magdalena arrived with their children; John Henry, Henry and Elizabeth on June 21, 1901. The ship manifest notes that they were going to the home of John Krieger in Portland, Oregon.
Steamship Pennsylvania
Steamship "Pennsylvania" in 1872 on its maiden voyage. Source: Wikipedia Commons.
John and Lena welcomed two more children into the family; Margaret (1905) and Joseph (June 1907).

Several of the Yeager siblings would become active in operating bakeries throughout the Northwest.
John Henry married Bertie Lee Mashburn on October 22, 1910. Along with his brother Henry, John Henry and Bertie Lee founded the Yeager Bros. Bakery at 1977 E. Stark St. in the Montavilla district east of Portland. The business was later renamed the Montavilla Bakery.
​Joseph married Beryl Plowman and they founded the Yeager Bakery in Beaverton in 1925. It was later named Beaverton Bakery.  ​
​Elizabeth Yeager married Peter Walters and they founded a Portland bakery known as Rotary Bread. 

Peter was born November 7, 1891 in North Plains, Oregon. His parents, Fred and Katharine Walters were born in Russia and among the early Volga German pioneers in Oregon. Peter opened his first store in 1923 between 3rd and 4th avenues on Yamhill Street at the old Farmer's Market. He continued in operation until his retirement in early 1961 when there were four stores in the Portland area.  Peter died in November of the same year and was buried at the Rose City Cemetery.

Rotary Bread continued under Peter's son, Edward Peter Walters and his wife, Barbara Jean for another 30 years. 

Rotary Bakery sponsored many top level men's softball teams that competed regularly for City of Portland and State championships in the 1930s and 1940s. Their teams featured many all-star players with Volga German ancestry such as Red Smith, Hank Helser, Maury Helser and Roy Helser.
Rotary Bread 1935 Champions
Back row from left to right: Hank Helser, Carlie Baum, ?, George "Red" Smith, ?, Harry "Red" Melcher. Front row from left to right: Scotty Laing, Louie Singer, Hank Kohl, ?, Ves Brown. Mascot: Johnny Urbach. Source: Steve Schreiber.

Sources

Portland City Directories, Ship Manifest and U.S. Census Lists - Ancestry.com.

"Fenning's City's Oldest Bakery" The Oregonian, February 26, 1961.
Last updated November 6, 2018.
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