Shenian/Tiberian

By Margaret Shenian

I was brought up on Elm Street in Whitinsville, living with my parents Yervant and Armenoohi Tiberian with my two sisters, Zaroohi “Zowie” and Araxi “ Roxi”. I had never been to the “New Village” section of Whitinsville until I married my husband Kenneth (Kapriel) “Cappy” Shenian on May 11, 1958, the owner of Cappy’s Variety Store on Border Street. We lived in a six family row house on 29 “D” Street which was owned by Cappy’s mother, Azniv and father, Haigaz who purchased the block from the Whitin Machine Works in the early 1950’s. Our neighbors in the same block were Sebouh and Margaret Kalousdian with their children Jeffrey, Melanie, and Mark, the Plitouki, Corran and Lawton families and Mamie Connors . Our four children, Kenneth “Cappy Jr.”, Jonathan, Steven and Melissa were all born while living on “D” street in the “Village”. Later we moved to Hill Street in Whitinsville which remains our family home till today. My husband, Kenneth “Cappy”, who was also a carpenter, passed away on July 18, 1978 at the age of 47 and is buried at Pine Grove Cemetery.

Kenneth “Cappy” Shenian
Kapriel (Kenneth) Shenian was born on D Street in Whitinsville on January 29, 1931 to Haigaz and Azniv Shenian. Kapriel was nicknamed “Cappy” which remained with him his entire life. Cappy had three sisters, Lilian, Rose and Agnes and one brother Popkin. He attended elementary school at the West End School which bordered the New Village section of town. After two years at the Northbridge Grammar School on Hill Street, Cappy attended Northbridge Junior and Senior High School, graduating in 1949. He also signed up for the US Army Reserve at an early age. Cappy was also a talented clarinet player and was part of an Armenian ensemble. Cappy was owner and operator of Cappy’s Variety Store, a small family-run grocery store located on Border Street between “C” and “D” Streets in New Village whose story appears below.

Cappy’s first date with his future bride, Margaret Tiberian, was on December 15, 1956. The traditional Armenian custom of “Khosgab” (where both sets of parents agree to the engagement) took place on September 1, 1957 at Margaret’s family Elm Street home in Whitinsville. Kenneth and Margaret were engaged in November 1957 and the engagement party was held at Aunt Mary’s Restaurant in Whitinsville. An Armenian priest who was a family friend, Der Nishan Kahana Papazian of Providence, RI presided over the engagement ceremony and blessed the rings. The marriage ceremony took place on May 11, 1958 at the Village Congregational Church of Whitinsville, Reverend Douglas Macintosh officiating. Their reception was held at the Eden Garden Restaurant on Franklin Street in Worcester, MA.

Margaret Tiberian Shenian
In 1935, Yervant and Armenouhi Tiberian were blessed with a second daughter, who they named Markarit (meaning “pearl” in Armenian) or Margaret (nicknamed Marney). Margaret had two sisters, Zaroohi and Araxi and all three grew up on Elm Street in Whitinsville. Marney attended the Clark Elementary School, Northbridge Grammar School and Northbridge Junior and Senior High School, graduation for NHS in 1953. After graduation she enrolled at Becker Junior College from 1953 to 1955 majoring in medical administration. Marney worked for the Northbridge Public School System for 28 years, retiring in 2007.

Cappy and Marney resided in their parent’s row house at 29 “D” Street where Kenneth Jr., Jonathan, Steven and Melissa were born. Cappy owned and operated Cappy’s Variety Store, the family business.


Cappy’s Variety Store
Cappy’s Variety Store located on Border Street between “C” and “D” Streets in the New Village section of Whitinsville was built in 1952 and opened for business in 1953. The store was expanded in 1959 to twice its original size. Kenneth “Cappy” Shenian was the store’s proprietor and operator with assistance from his father, Haigaz and other family members throughout the years. Cappy’s Variety Store was a small neighborhood food grocery complete with penny candies, a full deli case, refrigerated and frozen foods, tobacco, paper goods and beginning in 1960, beer and wine. On a typical Sunday, people lined up for donuts and selling 100 dozen in a day was not uncommon. Although there was a mechanical cash register, most tallies were made by pencil on a paper bag. During the summer months, Cappy’s was the headquarters for 5 cent popsicles, push-ups, and freeze pops especially with the kids before and after their swims at Kiwanis “Five-Oaks” beach at the end of lower “D” Street.
After Cappy Sr. passed away at the early age of 47, his son, Cappy Jr. took over ownership of the store from 1978 to 1981 after having been released from the US Navy. Since its sale in 1981, the store has continued to serve the New Village community by a variety of new owners with different store names.