Snapshots from the Past - Family History

Ara and Alice

I've been having a great time going through more old photos and old stories with my Aunt Miriam and all of my uncles. This Family project is really coming along, and I'm really starting to look forward to the end product! Here are just a few of the photos - a sampler for you all!


Bob and Sally, with the first grandchild - Laura


Ara Jr.


Marshall


Ron


Paul and Diane


Miriam at the Cotillion with Ara and Alice


Paul (Background), Dan(Dad), Miriam and David


Dan (Dad to me!) at Miriam's Wedding 1967

A Family Visit - Aunt Miriam in NYC

Last week was Aunt Miriam's visit to New York City... her first visit since 1992. I can't even tell you how much I was looking forward to it! We had a couple of really terrific walks around Central Park (the foliage is beautiful right now!):



We had lunch at Grand Central Station:


But my favorite was this last Saturday. We spent the entire afternoon wandering around Ellis Island, really enjoying our family's heritage and introduction to this country. We had a lot of family come through Ellis Island during some of it's busiest immigration years. I felt really happy to share Ellis Island, a place I have enjoyed twice before, with her and with Felipe. Each had meaningful connections, us with our family's history, and Felipe with his own immigration to the United States - very different from my great-grandparents experience, but in many ways the same.


Overlooking the Registry Hall, where her grandparents (my great-grandparents) were processed when they arrived in 1907.


By the Wall of Honor where Uncle Marty had our family's name engraved to commemorate their arrival at Ellis Island.


Mugrdiche and Aznive Kaprielian on the Wall of Honor


Felipe and I inside overlooking the Registry Hall


Immigrant v.2005 ;)

We had a wonderful time at Ellis Island, thoroughly enjoyed the Museum, and probably could have spent more time there if it weren't for the fact that we were already there until closing as it was! After that we had a lovely dinner at our favorite restaurant Virage. It was the perfect way to finish up a terrific visit. I am already looking forward to her next trip out here...which I hear will be spring of 2012!

Snapshot From the Past - Family Visits

Ara and Miriam at by the Central Park Carriages - 1960

I am very excited, that one week from tomorrow my Aunt Miriam will be coming to New York City for a visit. I have been wanting her to come out here for quite some time, but Aunt Miriam is a busy lady, and so it's been a long time planning. I am looking forward to "touring" her New York City - as she lived here about 50 years ago! And then maybe touring some of the places where her parents, my grandparents, lived here in the city when they were young. I can't wait!

The photo above is one I scanned from our family's photos. It was on one of the visits that my grandparents made, and so you can see my grandfather and my aunt by the carriages in Central Park.

Snapshots from the Past: Mariam and Rupen

Mariam and possibly a family member (Mariam on the right).

Some more wonderful old family photos from the project I'm working on. My Great Grandparents came to the United States through New York City in the very late 1800s. Here are some of the old photos of Mariam and Rupen. Unfortunately, all the people that might possibly be able to tell me about these photos have passed away...so many remain a mystery. Label your photos!!!








My Great Grandparents on my Father's side.

Amazing Family History

I've been working on some family history stuff for a while now, creating a family tree and scanning old photos. Today the project went into full force. Felipe and I arrived in Madison today and we'll be staying with my aunt for the next couple of days. My aunt has kind of been the official keeper of the family documents and some of the old family photos. I consider all of it to be a treasure, but today we found something truly special, a real gem.

We were going through an old tin filing box that my grandmother had kept, with old family documents dating back to 1899! My family arrived to the United states at the beginning of the 1900's through Ellis Island in New York City. I've often thought that it is so interesting that they arrived in 1906, and I came to New York City almost one hundred years later in 2005. Just knowing that I was living in the same city as them, and experiencing such a new place just like them (albeit a very different New York City than their own), was amazing.

The gem we found today was a copy of my grandfather's birth certificate. The birth certificate lists his father's place of residence, and his place of birth - the same address, at 217 West 68th Street. This is within 10 blocks of where I live in the city, and I pass it each day on my bus home from work! Here I am, a century later in the same neighborhood in New York City that my grandfather was born in! We're practically neighbors, in a time traveling sense. Of course the apartment he was born in is no longer there...it was long ago replaced by other buildings, which have now been replaced by a large luxury glass condo building. But this connection feels as if it has gone full circle.

I wonder what other treasures I will uncover during this project....