family history: Preface

This history of the Gertmenian and Devirian families was originally compiled by Constantine Gertmenian, Carol Gertmenian Doumani and Roger Gertmenian, in December of 1990.  It was published in book form.

In preparation for this web site, initially developed in May 2005, the material was slightly edited and formatted for internet access.  In general, the webmaster has tried to remain true to the original organization and flavor of the material.

The family history has also updated for events which occurred following the original publication of the material in 1990 and, in some cases, original information was expanded in order to present a more comprehensive picture.  These additions are generally attributed at the beginning of the text.

The history is a compilation of biographical data prepared by each branch of the family.  A member of each family was asked to submit data about his individual family, and also a brief family sketch.  Everything submitted has been included, with minor editing.  The original publishers felt the use of this format enriches the statistical data and allows readers to know the members of the family as the unique individuals that they are.

The publishers also constructed "graphic trees" to help trace relationships and relative dates.  (These formed the basis for the "Family Tree" section of this web site).  They tried to be accurate and checked the dates submitted, where possible.  Some dates were obtained from cemetery records and a few are educated guesses.  Two of the most important dates, those for Avadik and Hatoon Gertmenian, were obtained from the family bible, by Christina Gertmenian.  She had recorded these dates in both English and Armenian, so while they might seem remarkable and incompatible with the birthdates of their children, the publishers decided to accept what Christina had recorded.

You might also note some variation in the spelling of names and places.  This is due to the fact that the Armenian alphabet differs from English and, when names were translated, they were spelled phonetically.  The result was that different family members use different spellings for the same names.

This history shows two overwhelming influences which clearly affected the family's Hadjin ancestry. 

• First, and most profound, was the persecution and ultimate deportation of the Armenian population by the Turks.

• Second was the great impact of the American Protestant Missionaries, most of whom were Congregationalists, who came to Hadjin in about 1865 and established a church there in the 1880's.  These missionaries instilled a strong devotion to the Protestant faith and provided a western education.

As the family branched out, through the years and generations, certain common roots seem to connect and bind us to all our ancestors.  Among these are a belief in the importance of education and learning, a love of music and the arts and, most significantly, an abiding faith in the values of home and family.

Still, or perhaps because of these strong common roots, we are now a family of varied personalities.  We know you will be as fascinated as we were to learn of the many accomplishments of our brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and know of their contributions to society and to their communities.  Avdik and Hatoon Gertmenian would be amazed and proud to see how their family has flourished!

The preparation of this history has been a very illuminating and rewarding task, but the work is not done.  In the coming years, we hope each of you will add insights and make an effort to keep our history current, by recording information about the activities and growth of your family.

But, most important, we hope this history will give you a greater understanding of your family and that it will serve to strengthen the boughs of the Gertmenian and Devirian family tree.

Constantine Gertmenian

Carol Gertmenian Doumani

Roger Gertmenian

December 1990

Glen Gertmenian

edited for the web, May 2005