Manzoians, Aslanians, Najarians from Keserig, Kharput
Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:27 am
I am looking for information on these three families (Manzoian/Menzoian, Aslanian, and Najarians) from the town Keserig, outside of the city of Kharput, Turkey.
Here's verified information I have:
Boghos Manzoian (born 1860s), my g-g-grandfather, married Anna Najarian (born 1860s?) in Keserig and they had at least one child (but we doubt he was an only child): Ohannes Manzoian, born 1886/7.
Boghos had a sister, Altoon, who married Stephen Surabian (born 1860) and they had 7 children. Stephen and five of his children made it to America and settled in Worcester, Massachusetts (where they all live to this day). His wife Altoon also perished in the genocide. Stephen married a Tartay later in life and died in around the 1930s-40s in Worcester.
Ohannas Manzoian married Aghavnie Aslanian (born 1889) in 1907 and they had twins in 1908. Ohannas emigrated to America in 1909 and went and stayed with his uncle Stephen Surabian. Aghavnie followed him in 1912 (and somewhere between 1909 and 1912 the twins both died). On Aghavnie's Ellis Island record it states that she had a sister, Anna Aslanian, who was still living in Kharput. We do not know if Anna survived or not.
Ohannas and Aghavnie lived in New Britain, Connecticut in 1912, until moving to Worcester sometime before 1918. They had three children: Anna (born 1 Oct 1918), Helen (born 5 Mar 1923) and Boghos/Paul (born 27 Sep 1925). They moved to Providence, Rhode Island around 1921-22, where Ohannas/John owned a grocery and meat shop on Harrison Street.
Aghavnie/Ida died in 1936 at the age of 47 of a sudden heart attack. Two of her children (Helen and Paul) would also die around the age of 50 of a sudden heart attack without symptoms. After the death of his wife, at one point he went and lived on a farm in Hudson, Massachusetts with two other Armenian men. According to my cousin, she thinks the Surabians were part-owners.
Ohannas died in 1972 in Fresno California. He went out to California after the death of his daughter Helen in 1975 to be with "other relatives". We think we have an idea who these relatives are now: George Menzoian and his family (who could be Ohannas nephew).
Anna lived in Providence her whole life, married (and divorced shortly after), and had a daughter Diane in 1947. She died in 2008. Helen never married and died in 1975 at the age of 52 in Providence. Paul joined the service and fought in WWII in the Navy at the age of 17, and afterwards settled in Cleveland, Ohio with his best friend. Paul married and had 2 children: Rosemary (my mother), and John. Paul died in 1977 at the age of 51 in Cleveland.
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Here are some leads, but I need more information to verify the connections:
I think I have found a possible sibling of Ohannas (that he never told anyone about?). Simon Kevork Menzoian was born about 1887 in Keserig and emigrated to America in 1916. He lived in Hartford, Connecticut and worked as a shoemaker. He had a wife and two children who lived in Cherbourg, France. He was drafted into WWI and granted citizenship after returning. His wife Marian (but no children) came over in 1927. At that point they were supposedly living with my g-grandfather, Ohannas in Providence. Simon and Marian moved to California and he died in 1946 in Fresno. I believe they had at least one child in America: George Menzoian, born 1928.
My mother remembers going to visit some of her grandmother's (Aghavnie Aslanian) relatives in Binghamtom, New York in the 1950s. They owned a boarding house. Unsure who these relatives were, if one was possibly Anna, Aghavnie's sister.
The Aslanians apparently have a gene which my g-grandmother carried and passed to two of her children, of sudden heart attacks. Aghavnie also had to be a carrier of the color-blind gene, as my grandfather Paul was completely color-blind. It's also possible that light eyes ran in the Aslanian family, since both my mother and uncle have blue eyes, and all of their children have blue eyes.
I am really looking to fill in the gaps with the Aslanian and Najarian families, which we have very little information on.
I would greatly appreciate any information!!
Thanks,
Lindsay
Here's verified information I have:
Boghos Manzoian (born 1860s), my g-g-grandfather, married Anna Najarian (born 1860s?) in Keserig and they had at least one child (but we doubt he was an only child): Ohannes Manzoian, born 1886/7.
Boghos had a sister, Altoon, who married Stephen Surabian (born 1860) and they had 7 children. Stephen and five of his children made it to America and settled in Worcester, Massachusetts (where they all live to this day). His wife Altoon also perished in the genocide. Stephen married a Tartay later in life and died in around the 1930s-40s in Worcester.
Ohannas Manzoian married Aghavnie Aslanian (born 1889) in 1907 and they had twins in 1908. Ohannas emigrated to America in 1909 and went and stayed with his uncle Stephen Surabian. Aghavnie followed him in 1912 (and somewhere between 1909 and 1912 the twins both died). On Aghavnie's Ellis Island record it states that she had a sister, Anna Aslanian, who was still living in Kharput. We do not know if Anna survived or not.
Ohannas and Aghavnie lived in New Britain, Connecticut in 1912, until moving to Worcester sometime before 1918. They had three children: Anna (born 1 Oct 1918), Helen (born 5 Mar 1923) and Boghos/Paul (born 27 Sep 1925). They moved to Providence, Rhode Island around 1921-22, where Ohannas/John owned a grocery and meat shop on Harrison Street.
Aghavnie/Ida died in 1936 at the age of 47 of a sudden heart attack. Two of her children (Helen and Paul) would also die around the age of 50 of a sudden heart attack without symptoms. After the death of his wife, at one point he went and lived on a farm in Hudson, Massachusetts with two other Armenian men. According to my cousin, she thinks the Surabians were part-owners.
Ohannas died in 1972 in Fresno California. He went out to California after the death of his daughter Helen in 1975 to be with "other relatives". We think we have an idea who these relatives are now: George Menzoian and his family (who could be Ohannas nephew).
Anna lived in Providence her whole life, married (and divorced shortly after), and had a daughter Diane in 1947. She died in 2008. Helen never married and died in 1975 at the age of 52 in Providence. Paul joined the service and fought in WWII in the Navy at the age of 17, and afterwards settled in Cleveland, Ohio with his best friend. Paul married and had 2 children: Rosemary (my mother), and John. Paul died in 1977 at the age of 51 in Cleveland.
*******************************
Here are some leads, but I need more information to verify the connections:
I think I have found a possible sibling of Ohannas (that he never told anyone about?). Simon Kevork Menzoian was born about 1887 in Keserig and emigrated to America in 1916. He lived in Hartford, Connecticut and worked as a shoemaker. He had a wife and two children who lived in Cherbourg, France. He was drafted into WWI and granted citizenship after returning. His wife Marian (but no children) came over in 1927. At that point they were supposedly living with my g-grandfather, Ohannas in Providence. Simon and Marian moved to California and he died in 1946 in Fresno. I believe they had at least one child in America: George Menzoian, born 1928.
My mother remembers going to visit some of her grandmother's (Aghavnie Aslanian) relatives in Binghamtom, New York in the 1950s. They owned a boarding house. Unsure who these relatives were, if one was possibly Anna, Aghavnie's sister.
The Aslanians apparently have a gene which my g-grandmother carried and passed to two of her children, of sudden heart attacks. Aghavnie also had to be a carrier of the color-blind gene, as my grandfather Paul was completely color-blind. It's also possible that light eyes ran in the Aslanian family, since both my mother and uncle have blue eyes, and all of their children have blue eyes.
I am really looking to fill in the gaps with the Aslanian and Najarian families, which we have very little information on.
I would greatly appreciate any information!!
Thanks,
Lindsay