John Thomas Doherty

I decided to spend the rainy Sunday doing some genealogy, so I went over to http://www.sfgenealogy.com/ to see what was new.  They are always posting new resources there, and yesterday I was in luck!  I found San Francisco Mortuary Records, scanned images of records from several San Francisco mortuaries, all indexed.  Since I have several family branches in San Francisco, I started plugging in names to see what would turn up.  I found a record for John Thomas Doherty (1876-1936). 

John was the youngest child of Roger and Ann Doherty, my great-great-great grandparents.  I did not have the date of his death, so it was great to find this record.  There is also a lot of information that I already had that is further confirmed by the same information in this record from the funeral home.  His parents' names are confirmed as Roger Doherty and Ann (McLaughlin) Doherty.  The order for the funeral was given by Mrs. Elizabeth Levenberg, John's sister, better know to us as "Peeps".  Their address is given as 55 Elsie St., San Francisco.  This is in the Bernal Heights neighborhood.

I had John's birth date from his WWI draft registration card and it is confirmed here as 18 Jun 1876.  He died at San Francisco Hospital of carcinoma of the esophagus and bronchopneumonia.  I found a record for one other relative, Blanche Davidson Rommel (1881-1949), the younger sister of Peeps' first husband (and my great-great grandfather), Ewen Davidson (1872-1898).  Ewen was Claire's (Mammy) father.  I'll keep looking!

Paloutzians and Torigians

I've been working on scrapbooking and identifying photos recently. This photo has writing on the back, in Armenian, and I requested a translation at ArmenianAncestry.com .

The only people I can identify for sure are Goohar Paloutzian (standing at the far left), and Tatevos Paloutzian (standing 3rd from the right), and their 5 sons at the front right: Ed, Frank, Ernie, Roy and Vern. Since the name Torigian was mentioned, I have compared this photo to another picture of the Torigian family (also from Parchanj), and I think the 2nd woman on the left is Tourvanda Torigian, and the man on the far right is her husband Markar Torigian.  Can anyone identify anyone else?

The translation I received:

On the left side there is a name along the date:

Garabed Torigian - 1919 July ...

On the right side:
On July 13 participated ... Garabed Torigian ... ( I think here it says birthday, but I am not sure)

This is Markar and Tourvanda Torigian and their sons Antranig (Trigger), Madiros (Martin) and Nish, taken about 1925.

Manoug Paloutzian's Family - Photos From Cousin Bob

I connected with Bob Paloutzian (Harold Robert, son of Oscar and May, grandson of Manoug and Mary) through his granddaughter Lindsey on Facebook.  Lindsey is Ken Paloutzian's daughter.  Bob sent along some pictures of Manoug, Mary and their family.  The picture above, from left to right, Harry, Manoug, Pearl, Lucille held by Mary, and Harold.  Lucille was born in 1905, and the youngest, Oscar was born in 1907, so it is a good guess to say this picture was taken in 1906.

Here are Manoug and Mary's children a few years later, maybe 1910-11, if Oscar is 3 or 4 years old here.  In the back are Harry, Harold, Pearl, and in front are Oscar and Lucille.

This is Mary and Manoug with son Oscar.

Mary, in her 90's, with Harold, Harry and Oscar.

Here are Mary and Manoug with two of their grandchildren, Harold Robert (Bob), who sent these pictures to me, and Oscar James (Pat).  Pat and Bob are the sons of Oscar Asadoor, Mary and Manoug's youngest child.  I don't have any pictures of younger sister Betti; maybe she'd like to send me some!  This was taken about 1939-40, making Manoug about 79 years old and Mary about 69 years old.

This picture was given to my father by Paul Parvanian, who was Mary's nephew.  (Paul Parvanian was Barbara Bujulian's father, for my Bujulian cousins.) You can see the address on the house as 2045; this is on Palm Grove Ave. in Los Angeles.  Here it is on Google Maps.  Use the Street View and see that it looks pretty much the same.  It is actually a duplex I think, as Manoug and Mary's address was 2047, according to Manoug's death certificate.  Manoug and Mary are buried side by side at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, Los Angeles County.  My Mom and I got some pictures on our way to San Diego in June.

Larch Plot, C97 grave 2

Read more about the Paloutzians who came to California from Turkey here.

Thank you cousin Bob for the pictures!  If anyone else has pictures they'd like to share, let me know!  I can help you scan them, if needed.

Paul Keshishian gets married.

Paul Keshishian was born 21 Dec 1880 in Diyarbekir, Turkey, and came to the United States sometime before 20 Jun 1900 when he and his sister Suzie Zaillian (and her 3 sons) are found living in Franklin, Norfolk, Massachusetts on Chestnut Street.  Paul's occupation at that time is listed as "woolen weaver".  I have not been able to locate any immigration records for Paul, his sister Suzie, brother Jacob, or his mother, Mariam.  I do have records for Mariam's other children: Khautoon (Touma) Basmajian, Gadar Chooljian and Peter (Bedros).  I don't think that Mariam's daughter Arschalous ever came to the U.S.

I discovered Paul Keshishian and Margaret Ferguson McClary's marriage record in the Rhode Island marriage record database on Ancestry.com.  They were married on December 27, 1907 in Providence, Rhode Island by an Armenian priest.  As the on-line record only had the names and dates, I went ahead and sent for the complete record from the Rhode Island State Archives.  I was surprised to find quite a bit of information in this one document.  Some of the information confirmed what I knew, and some things were new to me.
Paul Keshishian was the youngest child of Mariam Keshishian and I didn't know his father's name, but here it is on the marriage record as Elijah.  The record shows that Paul was born in Armenia, was 28 years old and was a loom fixer.  Margaret was 27 years old, divorced and had a daughter, Esther (who ended up married to Jake Zaillian, son of Arschalous Keshishian Zaillian, Paul's sister).
So, another piece of the puzzle.  The only picture I have of Paul is in the large 5 generation picture of Mariam Keshishian's family, which I haven't been able to scan yet.  Margaret is not in that picture, but their children Doris, Paul, Pearl, Albert and Ruth are sitting in the front row.  By the second generation, all the Keshishian males were using the last name Kershaw.  Henry Keshishian (1920-2005), son of Peter, was the last in the family to use the name.

Well, at least he has a name now.

I had posted a group of old photos of my Armenian relatives awhile back.  Well, I figured they were relatives, as the photos were unidentified and we just didn't know who they were.  The pictures were in a box in the garage at my Grandma and Grandpa Paloutzian's house when it was cleaned out, in 1985 I believe, after Grandpa passed away.  Based on what I know now, I think the pictures were probably from Tatevous Paloutzian's things (my Grandpa Ed's father).
This is one of the pictures:

Recently I was contacted by my cousin, Mary Shamshoian, via Facebook (my new favorite genealogy resource!) and she had seen these pictures and had some of the same ones in her collection of family photos.  And hers had a name written on the back!!  Uncle Sahag Tatoian.  I did a quick look-up in the Dzeron Village of Parchanj book and saw that my great-grandfather Giragos Tatoian had a brother Sahag.  The book shows a + by his name, meaning deceased (at the time of publication, 1938), but also an asterisk, for which there is no explanation given.  That, plus the fact that he had his picture taken in Boston is all I know about him.  I cannot locate any records, so far.  I'll keep looking!
Giragos Tatoian and his wife Altoon had 3 daughters, Goohar (Pearl), Aghavni (Dovie) and Agnes.  Goohar, my great grandmother, married Tatevos Paloutzian; Dovie married Levon Garbedian; and Agnes married Soghomon Googooian.  Agnes was Mary Shamshoian's grandmother.

Not everything in my mailbox is a bill!

Look what I got in the mail:

This is John Henry Golden's (1873-1949) death certificate from the county of Silver Bow in the state of Montana (Click to enlarge).  Of course, it didn't just arrive in my mailbox on it's own; I did have to send for this record.  The information on death records is only as good as what the informant knows.  In this case, the informant was Paul D. Golden, son of the deceased.  The year of birth given is 1872.  I have been using 1873, as that is what John Henry wrote on his naturalization papers.  Since I haven't been able to locate his Irish birth or baptism record, I don't know that I can verify which is the correct year.
John Henry's parents' names are also given; Tom Golden and Mary Coleman, more confirmation of that information.
The cause of death listed is apoplexy due to arteriosclerosis.
Other information includes his burial at Holy Cross Cemetery in Butte on 23 June 1949.

Basmajian Easter 1984

Easter 1984 at Joann and Pete's.
From left to right:
Joann Kazarian Seeley, Auntie Vee Basmajian, Cindi Kazarian, Mark Bujulian, Auntie Erch Basmajian Kazarian, Robert Paloutzian, Tom Paloutzian, Michelle Paloutzian, Jeanne Paloutzian, Pete Seeley, Uncle George Basmajian, Tim Seeley, Auntie Arlene Paloutzian Bujulian holding Joy Paloutzian, David Kazarian, Merlin Kazarian, Adam Paloutzian, Denva Kazarian, Stacy Bujulian, Gary Kazarian, Uncle Frank Kazarian, Matthew Seeley and Uncle Harry Bujulian.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

My great grandfather, John Henry Golden (1873-1949) and his siblings were born in Drumacoo, which is a landholding outside of Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon, Ireland. Landholders like John Henry's parents were tenant famers, or just tenants, meaning that they didn't own the property they lived on. You can see a map of the area here.
For those of you who thought the family was from Co. Mayo, the county borders changed in 1899, and what was once in Mayo is now in Roscommon. You can see on the map that Drumacoo is also very close to the border with Co. Sligo.  Martha Golden visited Drumacoo a few years back and she sent me these pictures.

If any of you are interested in buying a piece of our ancestral homeland, you might want to check out this property.

I've been trying to expand my information for the Golden family and recently searched and purchased some records from the County Roscommon Heritage & Genealogy Company .  I previously had them conduct a search for records of John Henry Golden's birth, but they didn't find anything, but suggested that there might be records on other family members.  I was able to find the church marriage record for Thomas Golden and Mary Coleman who were married on 1 Dec 1866 in the parish of Ballaghadereen, Co. Roscommon.  They were Roman Catholic and the witnesses were Thomas and Mary Sharkett.  No other information was recorded.  I found civil birth and church baptism records for John Henry's siblings Winifred (1867), Brigid and her twin, Patrick (1871), and Margaret (1876).  All list the parents as Thomas Golden and Mary Coleman, Roman Catholics from Drumacoo, Ballaghadereen, Co. Roscommon, although Drumacoo is spelled all different ways (Dremacoo, Dromachro, Drimachoo, Dremecoo); that's just the fun of genealogy!  I can't figure why John Henry doesn't have any records.  If anyone takes a trip to Ireland (or wants to send me), I have a mission for you!  I have sent for John Henry's death record to see if it has any clues. 

Winifred, Bridgid and Margaret all came to the United States, to Montana.  John Henry was listed as the destination on Margaret's ship arrival record, and Winifred, John Henry and Margaret were all living together in Anaconda in 1900.  Brigid married John Francis "Frank" O'Connell, lived in Helena, MT and moved to Oregon between 1920 and 1930.  After the 1900 census I have essentially no records for Winifred or Margaret.  I think Winifred died that year as I saw a mention about the administration of the estate of Winifred Dolan (her married name) in the Anaconda Standard in Sept. 1900.  She did have 3 daughters, Winifred, Mary and Margaret, but I don't know what became of them.  There aren't records available on-line to help figure out these mysteries.  Some library, cemetery and county record searches are the next steps.

Auntie Mary

Auntie Mary was married to my grandpa Ed Paloutzian's brother, my Uncle Ernie. I didn't see them very frequently growing up, but when I did, they always remembered me and were so kind and loving. Auntie Mary's sister, Auntie Pearl, was just as kind. Even though she wasn't really my Auntie, she greeted me like family the few times I met her. What wonderful women; they will be greatly missed.

Mary Paloutzian
We celebrate the life of Mary Paloutzian who departed peacefully into the hands of our Lord in her sleep on Thursday, February 11, 2010. She was born on August 10, 1910, in Malden, Massachusetts, with her mother, Gladys (Koobatian) Kelarjian, her father Joseph Kelarjian, her brother Andrew, and sister, Pearl. She moved to Fowler, Ca., in 1920. Raised on the family farm and being the eldest of the three siblings, she was introduced to daily chores and care for the family. She graduated from Fowler High School in 1928. In 1931, she was introduced to the love of her life, Ernest Paloutzian, and they were married on September 11, 1932, in the family home on the farm where she was raised. Our mother had a passion for loving people in many ways, especially her cooking. Her favorite thing was to entertain family and friends. She was a fantastic cook and you never left her home feeling as if you hadn't had enough to eat. She delighted in preparing all the Armenian delicacies and being sure everyone's plates were filled again and again. Family favorites were her, yalanchi, choereg, kufta, dolma, and Holland Rusk pudding. Her presence was immediately known when she walked into a room. She radiated love and warmth to her entire family and all her friends. She was very creative and artistic, even learning to play the piano by ear. Our family wishes to thank Green Gables Care Home, Susan Kazaryan and Nancy Hinds Hospice for the loving and wonderful care our mother received from them over the last five years. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Dr. Rodney Paloutzian and his wife Shari of Fresno, Judy Carmichael and her husband Frank Aguilera, of Fresno, Allan Paloutzian and his wife Sue of Oceanside, Ca.; four grandsons and their spouses, Brett and Christy, Dirk and Bonnie, Kyle and Tyler and Sheree; and 11 great grandchildren. A Memorial Service honoring her will be held at First Armenian Presbyterian Church, 430 S. First Street, Fresno, Ca. 93702 on Saturday, February 20, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to first Armenian Presbyterian Church or Nancy Hinds Hospice, 1616 W. Shaw Ave., Suite C-1, Fresno, Ca., 93711

Golden Family Pictures

Cathie and Jay Sheldon shared some Golden family photos with me and I wanted you all to see them, too.

Walter, Robert, Tom and Jack Golden

Margie Golden, 1940 (19 years old)

John H. Golden in San Francisco, 1938

John H. and Anna Golden (my great-grandparents) about 1946.

Robert, John Henry and Paul Golden, father and sons.