1. The first marriage is said t have occurred in Turkey. According to the stories, Christine and her husband were on the forced marches into Syria and her husband died during the marches. Christine told her nephew, Tom Blanck, that she was on the marches to Aleppo.

   The forced marches occurred in 1915/16. If it is true that she was married and on the marches (and there is no reason to doubt such a story) it means she was probably married for the first time at around age 16 and that she had only been a bride for a short time when her husband died. It also means that Christine had to have been living in Anatolia where there were roundups of Armenians (There were no roundups of female Armenians in Constantinople). I have not been able to find a marriage for Christine in Istanbul. Anna Azarian Claveloux told Christine's daughter, Ilda, that she traveled to Yerevan with Christine and their mother for the wedding. Ilda believes however that they went to Erzurum.

   Ilda 2002

   "Aunt Anna told me that she had traveled to Yerevan when my mother was married. She may have been confused with Erzurum. My mother never spoke to me of Sivas except in relation to Uncle Harry. She did, however, speak often of Erzurum

   According to Aunt Anna, my mother's husband was shot by Turks in her house. They came and put all the men in one room and shot them. My mother escaped. She did say that she wandered about in the dessert for a long time, went to Aleppo and Haifa and was finally picked up by the French Foreign Legion and sent back to Istanbul."

2. Family history also says that Christine had a second short marriage that ended in divorce. No one seems certain if this marriage occurred in Turkey or the United States. At the time of her marriage to Mariano Pace in New Jersey in 1929 she listed herself as single, not as widowed or divorced.

   Ilda 2002

   I believe my mother's second husband was from Detroit and had a sister whose first name was "Veve"(probably a nickname).

   "It is possible that her second husband was a marriage to legalize her immigration status. The clergy at the Armenian church in New York vouched for her and this allowed her to get out of Ellis Island"

   Christine's is the only immigration record that I have not been able to locate. She does not appear to have immigrated under the name Azarian. According to family history, Christine was one of the first Azarian family members to arrive in the United States. According to the 1930 Federal Census, Christine immigrated in 1922 (Which is late, compared to the rest of the family.).

   Family sources also said that Aunt Christine immigrated to the United States with Uncle Mike.

   Ilda 2002

   "There is no question about her arrival in NY with Uncle Mike. He confirmed this many times. She may have arrived without sufficient documentation or she may have been held at Ellis Island because of her history with tuberculosis and typhoid fever"

   Unfortunately, the ship manifest that includes Mikes immigration does not include Christine's. Mike arrived on the SS Britannia which sailed from Marseilles, with a stop in Lisbon, and arrived in New York on February 20, 1920. I checked the whole manifest. Everyone on the ship was Portuguese, except Mike, a Greek man, and an Italian woman and her child.

   According to earlier information from Ilda Pace Restrepo, Christine was detained at Ellis Island. Ilda did not know the reason Christine was detained. However, I suspect that Christine may have been traveling alone and United States immigration laws did not allow women unaccompanied by a male relative or sponsor to enter the country until called for by a male relative or sponsor. (Lucy Azarian and her daughters were detained for this reason, see Lucy) It is highly likely that Christine arrived in the United States unescorted and was detained at Ellis Island until someone "called" for her.

   Given the patterns of chain migration and the relatively brief time span in which all of the Azarians arrived in the United States, it is highly likely that Mike and Christine arrived within a very short time of one another.

   Despite the fact that Christine was not traveling with Mike, his immigration may shed some light on the questions of Christine's second "marriage". When Mike Azarian arrived in the United States, he listed his next of kin as Parnag Sirabian, "brother-in-law". The information I have been able to find on Parnag Sirabian does not lead me to believe that he was really related to the Azarian's in any way. At the immigration of Virginia and Abraham in 1920 Harry Semerjian was listed as a "brother-in-law". He was actually the intended husband of Virginia. It is tempting to think of Parnag as the intended husband of Christine. She was the only eligible Azarian female at the time. If this was true, it means that Christine had not remarried in Turkey. However, it seems impossible that Parnag and Christine were ever actually married. Parnag's naturalization papers state that he was born in Sivas, Turkey on January 15, 1884 and immigrated to the United States from Naples, Italy on the Perugia, on the 26th of May 1911. In his 1920 Declaration of Intention, he stated that he was widowed and his wife's name had been Sara. By 1925, when he was naturalized, he was employed as a fireman and was married to Haiganoush, who was born in Sivas, Turkey in 1890. They had one child named Arpene, born in New York on June 2, 1922. This means he had to have married Haiganoush by the fall of 1921 (Not listed under that spelling or variations in the NYC grooms index. Death of first wife also not listed.) I can't see how Parnag could have married Christine and divorced her in time to marry Haiganoush by 1921. I could not find Parnag Sirabian in the 1920 census (As of September 2006). According to the SSDI Parnag Serebian died in April 1963 and Haiganoush Sirabian born September 10, 1888 died August 1979 in Flushing, New York.

   Note: As an example of how difficult it may be to find immigration information Parnag Sirabian provided proof of his immigration showing that he arrived in the US under the name Paruak Sidabian. Paruak Sidabian age 30 labourer born Turkey last residence Constantinople, relative in Turkey mother Marthe, destination New York to his brother in law can't read, 331 E 23rd Street, NYC.

   It is possible that Parnag (like Harry Semerjian) was a prospective husband and one or both parties rejected the proposal. Did the cultural implications of this kind arrangement constitute a "marriage"? Is this the " second marriage" of Christine?

3. Mariano Pace 1929, see below

A street in Erzerum from Harper's Weekly August 4, 1877.

Marriage of Christine Azarian and Mario Pace, 1929

On April 29, 1929, 4:30 PM, Mariano P Pace married Christina Azarian in Union City, New Jersey. Marino was listed as living at 57 Mercer Street, Jersey City, New Jersey, 34 years old single, occupation law clerk, born in Italy, father's name Giuseppe Pace, mother's name Sarafina Iacoponelli. Christine is listed as living at 424 17th Street Union City, New Jersey, age 28, single, born in Turkey, father's name Abraham Azarian, mother's name Lucy Aravian. Witnesses were Pierre Claveloux of Union City and Philomene Kebarbjian of Union City. Certificate of Marriage for Christine Azarian and Mariano Pace available on microfilm at the New Jersey Archives, Trenton, New Jersey.

Note:

Christine was actually 30 years old.

Children

Christine and Mario had a daughter, Ilda, born June 20, 1934, in Jersey City, New Jersey.

1930 Federal Census

Christine and Marino Pace were listed in the 1930 Federal Census at 240 (? 204) Palisades Avenue, Union City, New Jersey as follows:

• Marino P Pace, head, renting, monthly rent, $50, age 34, born in Italy, language spoken in home before arriving in US, Italian, immigrated in 1923, naturalized, manufacturer of dresses
• Christine, wife, age 28, born in Turkey, language spoken in home before arriving in US, Armenian, immigrated, 1922, alien, occupation, none.

Some Information on Marianno Pietro Pace

Birth: Mariano Pietro Pace, was born on June 29, 1895 and immigrated to the US from Naples, Italy on the Conte Rosso on January 15, 1923. He was naturalized on June 27, 1928. (This information was taken from his naturalization papers, Hudson County Common Pleas Court, Vol. 182 #48972.)

Immigration 1923: Mariano Petro Pace, male, age 27, single, lawyer, Juris prudence, University of Palermo, born in Castronuovo, father, Giuseppe Pace, of Castronouvo, 5 feet 7 inches, chestnut hair, no marks of identification, arrived on the Conte Rosso from Naples on January 15, 1923. Relative in the US, his mother Iacoponelli, Serafina, of 420 E 18th Street, New York City. (Ellis Island Web site at www.ellisisland.org )

WWII DR: Mariano Peitro Pace 135 Garrison H- Jersey City, Hudson, N. J., Telephone De 3 2127, age 47 born Italy June 29, 1895, wife Christine Pace, same address, employment, Real Estate, same address.

Serafina Jacoponelli Pace:

• Death: Serafina Pace born 3 August, 1873, died July 1969 Hackensack, N. J. SSDI
• Immigration: Dante Alighieri from Naples to New York, 19 Aug 1922 Serafina, Iocoponellu, Pace, age 50, seamstress, Christina Pace, daughter, age 17, both Italian born Castronovo, relative in Italy son (brother) Mariano, in Castronovo. to husband, (father) Giuseppe Pace, 421 El 13th Street. NYC, 5 ft 4 inches and 5 ft. 5 inches. brown hair and brown eyes.

• Travel:
  • S. S. Saturnia from Naples to New York, Jacoponelli, Pace, Serafina, age 57 housewife, Italian, born Castronovo Passport #586546 issued Washinton D.C. April 9, 1930, husband Giuseppi Pace, born Castronovo, Union City Christina Pace age 25, housewife, Italian, born Castronovo Passport #586547 issued Washinton D.C. April 9, 1930, father Guiseppi Pace 16 September 1930.

  • Serafina I Pace age 74, Italian, and Christina Pace age 43, both of 777 Summit Ave Hackensack, N. J. on the Saturnia from Naples 3 November 1948, first class.

Death of Marianno Pace

Will: Mariano Pace aka, Marianno Pace, Mariono P Pace deceased filed and proved May 7, 1952, Bergen Co.

Marianno P. Pace of Hackensack.

Standard opening:

Second: Gives real estate that was acquired form Marchese Guasconi Maira Vedora Naselli Flores and from Rosso Riccardo son of Cesere, both of which properties are located in "Castronova de Sicilia"*, Provence of Palermo, Italy to Christine Pace. to to collect rents and what ever profits, to pay over the net income therefrom quarter-annually to my beloved daughter, Ilda. until she attains twenty one years of age. Upon her attaining 21 years of age both said properties shall go to and rest in beloved daughter Ilda.

Third: Everything else went to Christine.

Forth: "It is my wish and desire that my wife, Christine, shall, if circumstances require, reside in the residence of my beloved mother and sisters, Christine and Francis"

Fifth: appointed Christine executrix of the estate.

If Christine predeceased him he appointed Virginia Semerjian until Ilda should reach the age of 21.

The will was dated 7 October 1950.

* "Castronovo di Sicilia"

I wrote to the United States Department of State in 2008 in an attempt to get Christine's passport application. The said they searched from 1923 to 1978 and did not find it unter Christine Pace or Christine Azarain. They suggested that the document might have been destroyed when the Department of State need more room in the 1980s. Death of Christine Azarian Pace

According to her daughter, Ilda, Christine died February 1978, Bogota, Columbia.

Christine Parnagian Esposito

Note: Young Armenian women were frequently married to men who were much older. MLB

"I took this picture for 500 lire. I thought it good for the price.
C"