As told by their granddaughter, Ellen Sarkisian Chestnut
The Shamlians, Topalians and Berberians. Marash, Turkey, 1921
My mother, Evelyn Shamlian’s family survived the worst years of the Genocide 1915-1916 as my grandfather, Hagop’s tannery produced the best leather in city of Marash. Not only did Hagop and his numerous employees work non-stop during the war years, 1915-1918 but he helped the Armenians of the city in extraordinary and risky ways. He was highly respected also by the Turks.
The tide turned for Hagop in 1920. He was now a wanted man with 50 gold pounds for his head. He fled, along with 3,000 other Armenians in the dead of night and into a terrible blizzard. That left my grandmother, Heranoush to fend for herself and their children. Thank goodness there was financial assistance for destitute Armenian families.
When money ran out, Heranoush announced to her children: “If I’m going to die, I’d like to die under my roof. C’mon children we’re going home.”
Little did she know that a Turkish army officer had taken over the family home. In the dead of night, Heranoush and children walked through the unlocked door, went upstairs where they snuggled together under the quilt and slept.
In the morning, the Turkish army officer confronted Heranoush yelling at the top of his lungs. She calmly replied and told him the local imam gave her permission to return. My Aunt Rebecca recalled that the officer told her that he heard them upstairs and took out his sword, stealthily climbed the stairs to slaughter them. But, he continued, when he saw them asleep some force held onto his arm and he couldn’t do it.
Heranoush and five of her seven children were able to stay on in the house with the officer and his family for six months. Hagop, who had miraculously survived and residing in Aleppo, paid for their passage out of Marash. Hagop was able to hire two Syrian Arab drivers along with a carriage and a covered wagon with money sent from America by his eldest son, Puzant. Once in a while when the drivers stopped at way stations, they did not like how Turkish and Kurdish men were eyeing the girls so they told Heranoush that the teenaged girls would have to be hidden. No more stopping at way stations. So Helen, step daughter of Heranoush and two girl cousins were at certain points in the journey hidden under quilts and the other children would sit on them to make it look as if the quilts were covering the cushions. They all made it to Aleppo, Syria alive and for the next ten years lived a life of privation but they were all together.
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