Ovian/Megerdichian
Megerdichian - Kinoian
Manoog Megerdichian was born in Armenia around 1888 in the village of Soursouri, province of Kharpert, to Charlie Megerdichian and Anna Dapcharian. He lived in town and worked as a carpenter. Manoog journeyed to the United States in 1908 when he arrived in New York with plans to join a cousin in Central Falls, Rhode Island; on the ship with him was Garabed who was joining an uncle at the same address in Central Falls. Manoog was 20 years old, and he didn’t stay long in Rhode Island, traveling on to Chicago to work as a cook in a restaurant there. At some point he returned to family and others from Soursouri living in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. When the genocide began, Manoog planned to return to Armenia and join the cavalry to fight against the Turks. His friends and family in Armenia told him not to return because of the atrocities committed there against the Armenians.
Almas Kinoian was born in Armenia around 1898 in the village of Soursouri, province of Kharpert, to Hagop Kinoian and Serpui Oroian. Her mother died around 1900. Her family lived on a large farm where Turkish workers worked in the fields. Almas would ride her white donkey with satchels carrying food to give to the workers. She told me once that as a young girl sometimes she would lie out in the field with a blanket covering her, waiting for birds to land on the blanket. Then she would wrap the blanket over the birds, bring them home to make Kaymer (raw kibbie). She lived a hard but relatively peaceful life until that final day when soldiers came into the village and killed her grandparents. stepmother, father, a brother, and a sister. Almas survived because someone hid her in a well.
The Turkish soldiers targeted mainly the men and leaders. The remaining Armenians in Soursouri were ordered to mass evacuation through the desert, headed for Iraq. Many were killed and starved along the way. Sometimes Kurdish men would come around looking for young women to abduct. One night, the Kurds came to where Almas’ surviving family were resting. Her older sister Tourvanda put potato peels on Almas’ face. When Tourvanda saw the Kurdish men looking at Almas, she said “Oh, you don’t want her. She is sick.” So they left her alone. The survivors of that family were her older sister Tourvanda, her older brother Khoren, her younger sister Yeghsa (Alice), and, of course, Almas. They ended up in an English refugee camp where the English took good care of them. Also, the Iraqi people and government aided them, along with the French. Also, my grandmother told me that there were some very kind and brave Kurds and Turkish civilians that helped her family survive. Finally safe, Almas left with her two cousins, Martha and Shoushan, for the United States via Marseille and Canada in 1921. Their ship was headed to Providence, Rhode Island, where they planned to join Almas’ sisters Tourvanda and Yeghsa (Alice) along with brother Khoren in Central Falls, Rhode Island. When Almas arrived, she found herself living in a small community of people from Soursouri.
Manoog knew the Kinoian family from Soursouri and met Almas shortly after her arrival. He was living in Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts, working as a moulder in a factory there. Manoog married Almas at his residence, with an Armenian priest Fr. Hagop Paretchanian from Boston/Roxbury blessing the new couple.
Two daughters, Haiganoosh (Agnes) and Ardemis (Rose), were born in Newton Upper Falls.. Then the family moved to Worcester for a short time. Their first son Hovhannes (John) was born there. Again they moved to Newton Upper Falls. Two more sons, Suren and Yergvant (Edward) were born there. From there they moved to Biddeford, Maine, and finally to Whitinsville where Manoog continued his work as a moulder at the Whitin Machine Works.
After living in a couple of different apartments, Manoog and Almas bought a triplex on Elm Street in Whitinsville shortly after WWII. In every place they lived, Almas would plant a vegetable garden. During WWII, Whitin Machine Works awarded Almas first prize for her Victory Garden.
When WWII began, Ardemis (Rose) also worked at the Whitin Machine Works. She made parts for airplanes. Today, when we drive by the factory, she shows me where she worked and the window where she could look outside. All the children’s Armenian names were changed to American names by Americans to make it easier for them to pronounce. One day, Ardemis’ first grade teacher said “Now your name is Rose.” And that was that.
John joined the Navy as a 16 year old and served on a destroyer in the Atlantic theater. Decades later, we discovered he won the Bronze Star. One of the often-told stories of his time in the war concerned how and where he met Steve Ovian, also of Whitinsville, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. John and Steve were serving on different ships. Steve arranged to have the destroyer signaled to ask “Is John Megerdichian on the ship?” They signaled back “NO”. Then Steve had his ship signal “Is there a M-U-G-G-E-R on your ship?” They messaged back “YES”. That was the nickname that John was known by. John convinced the captain to let him use his boat to travel to the other ship so he could visit with Steve. He brought a couple of gallons of ice cream with him. Two Armenians, from the same little town, meeting in the middle of the ocean, sharing ice cream and stories, during a world war.
All three sons were in the service. All married and had a total of 13 children. Haiganoosh (Agnes) had three boys and a girl. Hovhannes (John) had two sons. Suren had a boy and a girl. Ardemis (Rose) had three boys, Larry, Bobby and Richard. The triplex on Elm Street is owned by Hovhannes (John)’s children; Yergvant (Edward) lives in one of the apartments and manages the property. Every year he plants a beautiful vegetable garden and gives much of the vegetables away as his mother did. Yergvant (Eddie) became interested in horses, just like his father. He took care of them for people and trained them to race. He once had three horses of his own.
Agnes’ son Thomas served honorably in Vietnam. He was an MP. Suren’s son Steven was a Marine and was wounded in action.
Manoog died in 1959 and is buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Whitinsville. Almas died in 1997 and is buried with Manoog.
It was only because of these ancestors’ strength that the 3rd American born generation live on and the 4th generation continues.