Kalashians from Kharpet, Guleserian from Aintab, Okoomian

[Acheick51]

Hello. I am trying to put together my family tree and catelogue all the pictures and various artifacts left to me by my parents and grandparents. I have a family tree started through Ancestry.com, but I'm not very happy with their format. It isn't user friendly and it is very limited. I thought I'd get more for my money - darn it.

Anyway, my mother and grandparents barely escaped Aintab during the massacre. I have many stories and pictures they brought with them. It is very heartbreaking. My mother managed to get several tapes of my grandmother talking about her story. However, she speaks in Ottomon Turk and it costs me a lot to get it translated. Plus, Turkish translators do not know the Armenian words she uses. I have about 4 more tapes I'd like to get translated without having to pay an arm and a leg. I'm not rich.

On my father's side, it's not very clear as my grandfather died before I was born. Many things about that side of the family remain a mystery to me, but I've been uncovering them little by little. My grandfather arrived to the U.S. around 1890 with his uncle and cousins. He was probably only around 12. It is unclear what happened to his parents. My grandmother arrived at about 15 years and they married right away. In her village, Dyabekir, her parents were killed and the children scattered. Her 8 year old sister was taken by a Turk who later married her. Her sister actually came to the U.S. around 1958 and I met her. I have a newspaper article talking about how the sisters found each other through advertisements in an Armenian-language newspaper here in Calif.

Oh dear, this is getting quite long. As you can see, there is much to say and I really would like to put it all in a book, but I have many things to figure out still. As time goes on, I'll put some pictures up here that might remind someone of their family - maybe I'll find a distant relative. That would be exciting.

[ainley14]

Hi ,I saw your Forum listing , And Was thinking if your Guleserian was Gulessarian? If it is Gulessarian , then you do have living relatives in England and Turkey , Last year on the B.B.C. program "Who do you think you are " David Dickenson , the British Antiques dealer . Is in fact a Gulessarian , and did search in Turkey and found one member of the family there , I hope that this is new to you and is of some help .Also if you want a good family tree try "tribalpages.com Regards

[aintabgirl]

Hi. I just happened to read your post. I'm in much the same boat, only with much less information. My ancestry is also from Aintab. How has your research progressed since you posted this? Are you still in need of a translator? If so, try posting on Genealogy.com on the Armenian forum page. Put "Ottoman Turk./Armenian transl. needed" I've had to do that, and I got volunteers almost right away....there are many U.S. residents who can easily read Armeno-Turkish. No one charged me a penny; they were gracious volunteers. I'd be interested in any information you have about life in Aintab before, during or after 1915. I have what I could glean from Saraffian's book "A Briefer History of Aintab," and the book "Sheperd of Aintab." That's about it besides a few facts individuals have offered over the internet. Good luck & blessings.

[ainley14]

Hi there , Yes I am OK for translators now both in Armenian and Turkish , Just was contacted from Germany with more Relatives . Just keep posting and someone will answer , Have you seen the collection of photos on Flicker posted by the A.G.B.U , I am sure there are photo's there from Aintab . Regards to all

[ANTEP]

Hi.
My name is Erol.I am from Turkey and I was born in aintab(gaziantep) and grown there.I am fond of history of antep and armenians of antep.
I really wanna learn their culture and everything abotu them.I grown in old armenian home in antep(aintab).I will be glad if ı help you to translate.
U have written there u have alot of pic and tapes.I really would like to see those pics and listen tapes copy.I think its not ottoman.its aintab acccent.its realy different language aintab accent.
There are 3 church in antep.1 gregorian,1 protestan and 1 catholic.gregorian church is muse.Protestan church is mosque ,catcholic is goverment office now..
There are alot of armenian home here.
Achecik51 I would like to see old aintab pics.is that possible please?
My email adres is kostaslikes@hotmail.com

I hope ı can hear from u soon.

[ANTEP]

Hi.
My name is Erol.I am from Turkey and I was born in aintab(gaziantep) and grown there.I am fond of history of antep and armenians of antep.
I really wanna learn their culture and everything abotu them.I grown in old armenian home in antep(aintab).I will be glad if ı help you to translate.
U have written there u have alot of pic and tapes.I really would like to see those pics and listen tapes copy.I think its not ottoman.its aintab acccent.its realy different language aintab accent.
There are 3 church in antep.1 gregorian,1 protestan and 1 catholic.gregorian church is muse.Protestan church is mosque ,catcholic is goverment office now..
There are alot of armenian home here.
Achecik51 I would like to see old aintab pics.is that possible please?
My email adres is kostaslikes@hotmail.com

I hope ı can hear from u soon.

[Acheick51]

Wow! Hello everybody - I have not been on this forum since 2006. Suddenly, on my email I received a note from dear "Antep" - or Erol. I also see that in 2007 and 2009 I received a response from other people. Sadly, in 2008 I lost a year's worth of research when my computer crashed (and that wasn't the first time it happened). I thought I had backed up all my programs, but I didn't. I gradually became very despondent about it all and at this point in time, I have stopped researching my father's side. My computer crashed again and even though I bought a back up drive, it also gave me problems and I had to get a new one. Thankfully, I didn't lose anything, but I have so many repeats of folders and I am so confused that I cannot move on. Trying to do this on my own has just become too hard.

Anyway, to Erol - I am thrilled to hear from you. I actually found a Turkish relative of mine (she is half Armenian) through my blog - Armenianeyes.com I couldn't believe it, I had lost touch with that family when my mother died and I didn't think I'd find any of them again. So things keep going on in spite of my own giving up attitude.

My dream is to one day travel to Aintab and visit my mother's birthplace. I don't know if it will ever happen, but I hope so. Erol - I will send you a private email about my pictures, tapes, etc.

[Acheick51]

Hi. I just happened to read your post. I'm in much the same boat, only with much less information. My ancestry is also from Aintab. How has your research progressed since you posted this? Are you still in need of a translator? If so, try posting on Genealogy.com on the Armenian forum page. Put "Ottoman Turk./Armenian transl. needed" I've had to do that, and I got volunteers almost right away....there are many U.S. residents who can easily read Armeno-Turkish. No one charged me a penny; they were gracious volunteers. I'd be interested in any information you have about life in Aintab before, during or after 1915. I have what I could glean from Saraffian's book "A Briefer History of Aintab," and the book "Sheperd of Aintab." That's about it besides a few facts individuals have offered over the internet. Good luck & blessings.

Hi Aintabgirl! Wow - another researcher in the same position as me. Well, I know it's a few years later, but if you are still around, send me a message - or go to my blog - armenianeyes.com and maybe we can help each other some more.

[Acheick51]

Hi ,I saw your Forum listing , And Was thinking if your Guleserian was Gulessarian? If it is Gulessarian , then you do have living relatives in England and Turkey , Last year on the B.B.C. program "Who do you think you are " David Dickenson , the British Antiques dealer . Is in fact a Gulessarian , and did search in Turkey and found one member of the family there , I hope that this is new to you and is of some help .Also if you want a good family tree try "tribalpages.com Regards

To Ainley14 - thank you so much. Darn, I wish I had kept up with this forum and seen this in 2009. Yes, I do have relatives who have put an extra "s" in the name Guleserian. I think they do not realize that we are related. My grandfather had two brothers at least come over from Aintab and I believe one of them used the extra "s" in his name.

On my side of the family there are not many Guleserians as my grandmother only had two children. My mother and my uncle. My uncle had two children and his daughter did not have any children. His son had one daughter. So, we are kind of dwindling away. I wish I could get together with some of the other Gulesserians. They even attend my mother's church - since I do not live there, I have not met them. Sad. Maybe one day. Take care.