Zaven’s Story by Zaven
Kish
Zaven and Mary Kish with two
grandchildren
 Marie
with her second husband Avedis Keshishian in 1910
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My mother, Marie, was born 1890-92, I
don’t know exactly, to Everek, Turkey,
maiden name Tufrenkjian, at age 14 she married
her first husband and moved to Jehan also called
Hamidia about 50 km from Adana. They had two
children – a girl Gulenia and a son Vaham (I
brought them to Memphis); they live here –
she is in bad health, about 85-86; he is
83-84. My mother’s husband was killed
in 1908 (young turks revolution), Abdul Hamid was
dethroned, lots of Armenians were killed.
My mother moved to Hadjin, she married my
father who had just lost his wife. They had
two boys. I was the oldest born in Hadjin
(1911); the second boy was born 1913. In
1914-15 my father was arrested by the Turks (I
heard he had a nervous breakdown – lost his
mind – died). My mother moved to
Jehan. She had some property. While she
was there World War had started. We were
exiled to Syria (my first recollection of
anything) in some warehouse with lots of people
– Aleppo, Syria.
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My older brother (from my father’s
first wife) was with my grandfather and family. The
boy, about 7-8 years old, was taken by
grandfather. My mother was told 2 boys is enough to
take care of. Grandfather and family were sent to
Der-i-zor (desert). That was the end of them.
My mother’s brother, who was a carpenter, was
also in Aleppo, Syria. It seems the Syrians were
accepting families whose breadwinner had a
trade. Thanks to him, we were sent to a Damascus
Village. We lived there almost 2-1/2 to 3 years.
| I don’t know how your father, my uncle (Mark Keshishian),
had heard about us. I remember him coming to
the village on a donkey. He moved us
eventually to Damascus, then to Zahle, then to
Beirut. General Lord Allenby chased the German
and Turkish armies, freed Damascus (we were in
Beirut). Lived in luxury with Uncle Mark for
about a year, until the war was over. Until Uncle Mark
found us, I had never tasted an egg or any kind
of meat. After the armistice, we left on a
French destroyer from Beirut to Tarsus (where St.
Paul was born). From there to Adana then to
Jehan. In 1922, Uncle Mark
asked my mother if she would send me to
him. He would raise and give me a good
education. At this time my mother was
married for the third time. She was about
34-35 years old. She was married to a young
man, her age. She knew him as a youngster
from Everek. He had come to America about
1912. At that time lots of young Armenians
living in U.S.A. had joined the French Army to
fight the Turks, to revenge for all the
atrocities and genocide of the families. Six
months after I left mother died giving
birth. Her husband was killed by the
Arabs. He was a chauffeur.
In 1923, or late 1922, I arrived to
Constantinople (Istanbul). My uncle and aunt
had not been married too long. We moved to
Corfu, Greece. Then my uncle
took me to Germany to get my
education. After 18 months, I left Germany
and joined uncle and auntie in
Athens. Inflation in Germany was reason I
went to a French school in Syria, also called
“Syros” in Greece. They moved to
London. The school in Syria was a boarding
school. At the end of the year, I joined
them in London. I went to school in London
(Polytechnic Institute).
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 Mark Keshishian
in Trieste in 1922 on a mission for the Save the
Children orphanage on the isle of Corfu.
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I came to New York August 6, 1929 and
stayed with another uncle (Garabed). We lived in
Brooklyn. I did not like New York. Depression
was starting. I was offered a job in Memphis,
Tennessee at the ripe age of 19. I came to Memphis
in 1930. Best thing I ever did.
Hadjin Turkey Home
Copyright H.M.
Keshishian 2006.
Last revised: December 16, 2010.
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