A 110-year-old Love Letter

Happy Valentine's Day!  The photo above is of my great grandparents, Juvar and Tatevous Paloutzian, Juvar's sister Aghavni (Dovie) Tatoian and Juvar's parents, Altoon and Giragos Tatoian.  The photo was taken c. 1905.  Juvar and Tatevous were married 30 Nov 1905, in Fresno, CA; this photo likely commemorates that event.  Juvar would have been 20, Tatevous 23, Dovie 10, Altoon 37 and Giragos 42.

Tatevous was born in Parchanj, Turkey in 1882 and came to the U.S. in 1901, when he was 18.  Juvar was also born in Parchanj, in 1884, and had come to the U.S. in 1903, just two years prior to this photo.

This is a letter that Tatevous wrote to Juvar during their courtship.  The date on the letter is May 30, 1904.  My cousin Mary Shamshoian, whose grandmother was Juvar's sister Agnes, had this letter, and I was able to scan it when we visited.  I am so thankful to her for sharing!
My friend Houri Vartanian and her mother were very kind to translate it for me.  Here is their translation:

To Miss Juvar Tatoian

My kind lovely adorable. It is night. Everybody is asleep at this moment. But me, after a hard workday, I came to write you a heartfelt letter. Once again I want to share with you my wish and dream. 

My adorable, first let me tell you about our short visit on Sunday.  Even our smallest desire went unfulfilled. My days fly by like months.  All day, even in my daily duties, you are on my mind. My whole mind is possessed by your love. I know not if I am the like in your head. 

I work so hard but I never feel tired because I have you my exceptional adorable.  Always having you in my heart I find the cure for my ailments. 

And again my wish and desire is this. For you to continue to learn because the story is in your hands. If it isn't boring, please try to learn. Endure and do so continuously. Because this is critical and important for you as it is for me.  If you love me sincerely, continue. 

Likewise you should know that my pain and your pain are both my pain. There is no difference between us. And again I beg you that every week you learn at least "forty" words. As you learn so do I.  Maybe next Sunday when I visit I will find that you have learned this much. As I have nothing else of importance to write, I grant my sincere and loving greetings to you, your father and your mother. Also, with my sincere and loving greetings, I kiss their hands. And I send my greetings to Aghavni whom I miss.  

And with a kiss to you, I finish this letter... Chained to your heart, I remain your friend. 

T. H. Paloutzian

Although your name is familiar to many, your love is a slingshot to my heart. I am the only one close to your heart. You cause the wounds of my heart to dissolve. 

This is our address

T Paloutzian

Route 6

Fresno CA

I think he must have been talking about learning English.  My father has told me that my great grandfather read newspapers in English and Armenian daily, but that his grandmother did not speak English very well, if much at all.  The 1920 census says she does not read and write (in English), but the 1930 census says she does.  I hope she read Armenian so that she could read this for herself!

Thanks so much Mary, Houri and Mrs. Vartanian!  I am so grateful!!  Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

I thought I should tell you the rest of the story. Here are Juvar and Tatevous and Dorothy and Ed's 25th wedding anniversary, in 1962. They had 5 boys; Ed, Ernie, Frank, Roy and Vern. And 12 grandchildren. And 21 great-grandchildren. And 25 great-great grandchildren. In this picture she is 77 and he is 79. They were married just shy of 60 years when grandma died, 28 Oct 1965. Grandpa lived to be 95 years old; he died 13 Feb 1978.  

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.

October Cemetery Haunting

Well, really, I was hunting not haunting. And, actually, it was September 30, but we can be creative in order to make a catchy title!

I was on my way to St. Mary's Church in Fresno and made a short detour to the Ararat Cemetery on Belmont Ave., just to poke around and see who I could find. It was almost hard not to stumble over cousins, some more distant than others. I've posted the photos on Ancestry.com. If you don't have access to Ancestry yet, and would like to, let me know and I will send you an invitation. It is free! If you like, I can e-mail you any of the photos. Here's who I found: Markered Badigian (my great-great-grandmother), Geragos and Gadar Chooljian (my other great-great-grandmother's sister and her husband), Horene Basmajian (my great-grandfather's brother), Khatoun and Garabed Ouzoonian (my great-great-grandmother and her 2nd husband), Harry Tusoosian (Tusan), Susie Zaillian, Yezneak Zaillian, Albert B. Badigian (1920-1923), Harry and Arax Chooljian, Tooma Chooljian, Gadar Zailian, Aram Zailian, Zaven Chooljian, Ralph and Anahid Shamshoian, Chester and Erma Badigian, Arax Chooljian Zailian, Lucy Zailian (1920-1923), Rose and Vartan Badigian (my great-grandma's brother and his wife). I also already have pictures of Dickran and Mary Basmajian, and Giragos and Altoon Tatoian. I have other family headstones, too, but these are the ones from the Ararat Cemetery.