North Andover Citizen, MA
May 4 2013
Remembering the ‘Great Crime’
By Sally Applegate
North Andover Citizen
North Andover –
The 101 year-old woman, the final Merrimack Valley survivor of the
infamous Armenian genocide from the early 1900s, is finding herself
flooded with emotional childhood memories after attending a tribute
concert on April 28 at North Andover High School.
Hosted through St. Gregory Armenia Apostolic Church of Merrimack
Valley, the concert and gathering commemorated the 98th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide
The final song of the concert was Erebouni – Yerevan, a song Nellie
used to sing at home with her family in Armenia. The song about
Armenia’s capitol city Yerevan and the ancient Erebouni Fortress, was
an inspiring surprise to Nellie, sung by three remarkable classical
singers.
“My teacher heard me sing it once, and said, `I didn’t know you could
sing.’ The teacher had me sing it at school for my classmates,” Nellie
said.
The Ottoman government is estimated to have killed a million Armenians
during the genocide from 1915 to 1923. Nellie’s family escaped to the
mountains during the chaos of WW1, where they survived until coming to
America in the early 1920s.
“I don’t know how we got out. God was with us,” Nellie said.
Even within the safety of the mountains, safety was often a fleeting commodity.
“When the train with soldiers passed by my mother hid me behind her
back. When people offered to take me to safety, my mother cried out
`How will I ever find her again?’ and refused to let them take me. She
never left my side.”
Nellie’s grandson Jack Wilson of Andover attended the concert with his
wife Shari and daughter Kaleigh. Debbie Nazarian-Kady of Haverhill
attended with her son Neko. Their family presence lessened the impact
of the fact that Nellie is now the sole genocide survivor at these
annual tributes, since the recent passing of Ojen Fantazian and Thomas
Magarian.
“Nellie is an institution in the Merrimack Valley,” Jack said. “She
represents the American dream, surviving that horror and coming to
America for a better life. She and her husband Stephen operated
Nazarian Jewelers, and the stores are still located in Andover,
Newburyport and Salem, N.H., run by her children and grandchildren.”
Concert performances of tenor Yeghishe Manucharayan, mezzo soprano
Victoria Avetisyan, and soprano Knarik Nerkararyan drew a standing
ovation, many bravos and bravas, and calls for encores, which the
singers obligingly performed. In addition to these singers’ impressive
careers, Nerkarayan is currently the Choir Director at St. Gregory.
The concert also honored the winners of the essay contest sponsored by
the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee of the Merrimack Valley
encouraging students to express their feelings on the genocide.
Contest winners in the 7th-9th grades were Sarah Tavitian, first
place, Armen Hovsepian, second place, and Anna Shahtanian, third
place. In the 10th-12th grades the winners were Taleen Kalajian, first
place, Matt Kochakian, second place and Irena Manukian, third place.
Artist Daniel Varoujan Hejinian has designed a touching monument to
the Armenian genocide victims, which will soon be installed in front
of Lowell Town Hall. It depecits a mother’s hands crocheting lace and
is inscribed with a poem – “Knot by knot, her hands weave the history
of her people … the massacre of more than 1.5 million Armenians within
the Ottomon Empire will never be forgotten, that in spite of the pain
and horror of the genocide, knot by knot, the Armenian people
everywhere weave their hopes and dreams, as they bloom and prosper.”
Hejinian mourns for that lost generation.
“The genocide killed a generation of women who never grew up to become
mothers,” Hejinian said. “Think of the contributions that generation
could have made.”
Nellie has some words of wisdom for the upcoming generations, based on
what the years have taught her.
“Do not be so cruel, learn the lesson of history and appreciate what
you have,” Nellie said.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/northandover/features/x179154415/Remembering-the-Great-Crime#axzz2SLnWhxMP