Gadar Azarian and Toros Parnagian
Birth of Toros Parnagian
Toros Parnegian was born circa 1880 in Chemishgezek [Ch'mskatsag (Robert Hewsen), Cemisgezek (Google map 2009), and Tehumuch Kazak (1908 immigration)*], Harput, Turkey.
His father was "Kovork" [Kevork=George] Parnagian - mother not known.
Information on father, date and place of birth was taken from the ship manifests at the immigrations of Toros in 1908 and 1920.
* also Cmskacag, Ch'mshgatsak, Tzimiskes
Chemishgezek is northwest of the city of Harput and and southeast of Sivas. It lies in a particularly fertile area which has many more trees than the high plateau near Sivas. The climate is mild with snowy winters. The economy is mainly agricultural. There was a silver mine in Chemishgezek in Armenian times. There were 31 Armenian parishs, with 32 churches counting about 9,000 member pre 1915. (Armenia A Historical Atlas, by Robert H Hewsen)
See:
Fotograflar [images of Cemiskezek]*
*This site contains some lovely old and new images. However, is in Turkish and I cannot find the home page.
First Immigration of Toros Parnagian to US
1909 to 1915 in Lawrence, "R. I.", as indicated by his 1920 immigration papers.
Listed in the 1910 census in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Manifest: "Parnagnian" Toros age "32", laborer, Turkish, last residence "Tehumuch" Kazak Father Kovork Parnagnian to Providence, R. I. 8 Feb 1908, from Havre on the La Lorraine, to brother in law ---d Papajian (?) 8-7 Westminster, St Providence, R. I. 5'7" black eyes black hair, born "T-chumuch", Turkey
Toros Parnagian in the 1910 US Census
Toros Parnegian was listed in Lawrence, Massachusetts in the 1910 census at 208 Cannon Street as a boarder in a large boarding house. There were 44 people listed at that address, all of the male, all of them Armenian.
Toros Parnagian was listed as age 35, married 8 years, immigrated in 1907 alien, scrubber woolen mill.
There were three other Parnegians listed in the same boarding house: Garabad Parnagian age 55 widow, immigrated 1896, winder woolen mill, Vahan Parnagian age 27, married 6 years, (no wife), immigrated 1907 operator woolen mill, Sahag Parnagian, age 32, immigrated 1909, finisher woolen mill. They were listed together. Toros was listed on the next page.
Note: George Parnagian (Toros' son) said that Toros did not have family in the US.
When Toros Parnagian and family entered th US in 1920 they listed their nearest
relatives as a "brother" "Messrop Parnakian" of 208 Cannon Street Lawrence.
There were a number of Parnagians in Lawrence including Garabad, Sahag, Vahan, and Manoog who were a
father and his three sons. Gadabar immigrated circa 1896, Sarag immigrated circa 1909, Vahan circa
1908, and
Monoog immigrated circa 1912. Vahan and "Manjon" were listed in the 1920 censue as "partners"
of Martin Parnagian farmer who immigated in 1917.
Sarag, Vahan, and Manoog were listed in the WWI Draft Registration. The information
shows that they were related to each other as brothers, that the came from the town of
Arapkir (Arabkir, Arabgir)
in Harput villayet at the confluence of the eastern and western Euphrates in Turkey and that
they lived on Cannon Street in Lawrence. Arapkir is is northwest of Harput. Chemishgezek
(the birthplace of Toros) is a few miles to the east of Arabkir. I do not know the actual
distance but they are relatively close to each other.
Armenia, A Historical Atlas Robert Hewson
It is possible that the other Parnagians in Lawrence were cousins of Toros Parnegian.
Parnagians in the
1930 Census"Arabkir was one of those towns in Anatolia where an especially high
population of men left to seek work elsewhere leaving their wives and children
behind with their parents."
A local industry in Arabkir was cotton cloth manufacture.
Most of the earlier Parnagain records in the US were in Massachusetts. Some later records are in Fresno, California.
Toros' Return to Turkey
Toros returned to Turkey circa 1915 according to the 1920 immigration manifest.
Death of Toros' First Wife
Family history says that Toros' first wife and all his family died in the 1915 genocide. He was listed as married 8 years in the 1910 census in the US.
How and why was he spared? Did he return to Turkey too late?
Birth of Gadar (Catherine) Azarian
Gadarine Azarian, the daughter of Abraham Azarian and Lousia Hagopian, born October 3, 1896, Galatia, priest, Bishop Abigian, godfather, Avitis Hagopian, church------, baptized October 6, 1896. LDS film #1037106, Surp Savour, Beyoghle, Istanbul.
Marriage of Catherine Azarian and Toros Parnagian
According to their son, George, Catherine Azarian married Toros Parnagian in
Constantinople in February 1919. I have not been able to find the marriage record in the
Catholic churches in Istanbul. I have not looked in the Apostolic churches.
Note:
If it is true that Catherine and Toros married in 1919,
Catherine would have been 22 years old at the time of the marriage.
I find this date troublesome for two reasons:
Pauline and George Parnagian said that Catherine did not marry at an earlier age because she was needed to take care of her younger siblings. Most family traditions contain a measure of truth and Catherine, as the oldest daughter, was most certainly invaluable as a helper to her parents.
However there are problems with this scenario.
While I have not been able to confirm it definitely, I believe that both Armenian custom and the period of time would have dictated that the oldest girl marry first - the marriages of her younger sisters following in the order of their ages. As far as I can determine this was the situation in all pre-WWI Middle Eastern societies.
More importantly, unless they were well to do, all Armenian girls had to learn to cook, shop,
maintain a home and take care of babies (younger siblings or nieces and nephews). Unless there
were servants, all Armenian girls were expected to participate in household chores which
prepared them for their own marriage and families. With six daughters this was not a family
lacking in mother's helpers making one daughter more valuable than the others in this respect.
There is no apparent reason why Christine (born in 1899) would not have replaced Catherine as
the major mother's helper when Catherine married and left the household (or as in many Armenian households lived after her marriage with her parents or in laws where, in either case, she would be expected to help in running the house).
Catherine did not marry until 1919 when she was 23. On the other hand her younger sister,
Christine, is supposed to have married at age 15 or 16 (at least seven years younger). I believe
that this is highly unusual and that there must be an additional reason or reasons for Catherine's
late age at marriage versus Christine's marriage at a much younger age.
Children
Catherine and Toros had a son, George, born in Constantinople on
December 26, 1919.
I have not located the baptismal record of George in the Catholic records. I have not checked the
Apostolic church records. The Parnagians were members of the
Armenian Apostolic church in the United States.
Immigration 1920
Toros "Parmakian" a 38-year-old merchant from Harput, Turkey, his wife,
Gadarini, age 23, and their son, Kivot, age 2 months, arrived in New York on
March 25, 1920 on the S.S. Argentina from Patras, Greece.
They were listed as having paid their own passage. Toros and Gadarini
are listed as able to read and write Armenian. Their last address is given as
Harput, Turkey. They listed no relatives in Turkey. Their destination was listed
as Lawrence, "R.I.". Their relative or friend in US was Messrop Parmakian,
brother, of 908 Canon Street Lawrence, "R.I.".
Toros is listed as 5 feet 8 inches tall, dark complexion, brown hair and brown
eyes in good health, place of birth, Harput, Turkey.
Gadarini is listed as 5ft. 3in. tall, white complexion, black hair and black eyes,
in good health, place of birth, Constantinople. Kivot was listed as fair complexion,
blond hair and blue eyes, place of birth, Constantinople.
This information was taken from the passenger manifest of the S.S. Argentina
available on microfilm at the National Archive Records Administration, NYC Branch.
<>Toros is listed as having been in the US in Lawrence Mass between 1909 and 1915.<>
Note and Questions:
Harput is/was a town on top of a low mountain (1,148 ft above sea lever).
Below it lies a rich and fertile plain.
Robert H. Hewsen in Armenia, A Historical Atlas says,
Naturalization
Not found
Toros and Catherine in the 1920 census
I did not find a listing for Toros and Catherine Parnagian in the 1920 census.
I tired a number of tricks but could not pull them out.
Most likley living in Lawrence, Mass..
Toros and Catherine in the 1930 census
I did not find a listing for Toros and Catherine Parnagian in the 1930 census.
I tired a number of tricks but could not pull them out.
Most likley living in Lawrence, Mass..
George Parnegian and Angela Krikorian
George Parnagian's first wife was Angela Krikorian. They had a
daughter, Christine Parnagian Esposito. See below for photos of
Angela Krikorian Parnagian and Christine Parnagian Esposito.
Notes on Angela Krikorian:
No further listings for Edward.
George Parnegian WWII
George Parnagian born 1919, in Turkey, living in Hartford Connecticut, enlisted 31 August 1943 in Boston, Massachusetts,
private enlistment for duration of war, 4 years of high school, married.
Death of Toros Parnegian
December 1955 per George Parnagian.
Death of Catherine Azarian Parnegian
According to George Parnagian, Catherine died December 1, 1982
in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Gadar Parnagian SSN 033-09-0534, 01841 Lawrence, Essex, Massachusetts, born 29 Oct 1896
died Dec 1892. (SSDI)
Information Supplied by George
Parnagian
George provided me with the following information several years ago
Mother, Catherine (Gadarini) born October, 1896,
died December 31, 1982 in Lawrence,
Massachusetts
Father, Toros Parnagian, born in Haput, Turkey in 1882, died on
December 8, 1955 in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Catherine and Toros were married in
Constantinople in February 1919.
Their son, George, was born on December 26, 1919 in
Constantinople.
George's wife, Pauline (Polly) Boghus was born on November 23, 1927 in
Lawrence, Massachusetts. Polly and George met in Nashua, New Hampshire. Polly says,
Children of George and Polly:
Diane married Mark Juknavorian who was born on June 28, 1948 in Lowell, Ma.
They met at church.
Diane and Mark have :
Katherine married Robert Hussen who was born on November 6, 1948
in Lowell, Ma. They met in church.
Kay and Bob have four children:
As of 1999 Paula, Charlotte and Christopher were
single.
Death of George Parnagian
George T. Parnagian, Birth: 26 Dec 1919, Death: 26 Dec 2003 - Methuen, Essex, Massachusetts, United States of America
Civil: Massachusetts
Also listed in Massachusetts Death Index, wife, Pauline Boghus, other info the same.
" This part of Armenia was particularly fertile and, with its
numerous trees, was much more verdant than most of the high plateau. The climate
was generally healthy although there were intermittent fevers in the area around Keban
Maden and Malatya during the summer months. There was much snow in the winter but
little after February. By Armenian standards, the climate must be counted as mild
"
"I was working in a drug store and George was selling merchandize to them.
(Ours is a long story.)".
In February 2002 Tom and I saw George and Polly in Florida.
At that time they provided me with the following information.
| Photos of Catharine | |
 | Catherine and either Mary or Alice |
| Photo courtesy Eileen Claveloux | |
 | Catherine Azarian and Toros Parnagian, circa 1919. |
| Photo courtesy Eileen Claveloux | |
 | Toros Parnagian, Catherine Azarian Parnagian, and George Parnagian 1925 |
| Photo courtesy Eileen Claveloux | |
 |
George Parnagian and daughters. left to right: Diane, George, Paula, and Kay. Estimated date late 1950s. |
| Photo courtesy Eileen Claveloux | |
