Paroonagian Family

Description

In the back on the left is Arshalouise, wife of Haig Paroonagian who is standing in the middle. The woman on the right is unknown, but possibly a sister or relative of Arshalouise. The woman on the lower left is Elizabeth, Haig's mother. The woman sitting in the middle may be her sister, but unknown. The young girl is unknown.

The Parnoogians lived in Dorchester at one point and were responsible for sponsoring Charles Aghajanian and his brother John coming to the United States. We did not know the relationship until recently, but Haig's mother was their aunt, the sister of their mother, and Aidjian, who died as a result of the massacres of the 1890's. She would visit the home of Charles for a month at a time and share a bed with Rose's sister Alice.