About my Heritage: Part 2 - "Arrival at Ellis Island & The Story of Our Wedding Picture"

Arrival At Ellis Island & The Story of Our Wedding Picture

While at the American School for Girls at Talas for 4 years I never went any place, not even to Kaiseri 3 miles away, a large city in 1913. (Now in 1976 there is an airplane factory and an airport.) The first time I was there was on the way to America. While in Kaiseri my escort, a 72 years old man Mr. Haralambos Sarandes, my sister-in-law's father asked me, "Which is nearer Talas or America?" I said "Talas". He said, "No. America is nearer. Probably you'll never see Talas again." He was right. In the 62 years since we were married I never say Kaiseri again (nor talas either) except some postcards of how developed it has gotten. We stopped at Konya (Iconium) a few days at Haigopian College. Then we proceeded to Istanbul where I stayed with Victoria's family, and Mr. Sarandes stayed with some of his relatives. For two weeks we visited many sightseeing places and relatives.

It took us 27 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean to New York. In the beginning we were in 3rd class steerage - very unsatisfactory. Mr. Sarandes paid the difference and we moved to 2nd class. We had our private beds instead of lying on the floor with a bunch of turkish Armenian people, men and women. One Turkish fellow in the 2nd class lost his passport. Since I could talk English even then, he stayed close to us constantly and helped us so that I could translate for him at Ellis Island. I did quite a bit of translating for some other Turkish speaking passengers. But when our turn came, they put a mark on me and pushed me to a door. They put a mark on Mr. Sarendes and pushed him to the next door. They put a mark on the Turkish fellow and pushed him to another door. He was carrying my suitcase with all my buitiful hand made gifts from all my school mates. I told the Attendant, "I have to go with that gentleman. He has my suitcase, and I have to intercede for him because he has lost his passport in the ship." They said, "You'll meet him upstairs." Well, I never saw him again and I lost all my beautiful Trousseau Gifts. Dr. Pavlides and my fiance paul met us upstairs. I told Dr. Pavlides about my suitcase and we looked and looked but couldn't find that Gentleman.

We Came home to Conshohocken on a real cold day, January 10, 1914. The next day we went to Norristown for the marriage license. The judge said, "How long have you known each other?" We said, "Since yesterday. He said, "No, I can't give a license. Live here six months, date each other and come back if you still want to get married." Dr. Pavlides said, "That is the custom of our country. The parents choose the mates for their children and it works very well - hardly any divorces." Then the judge said, "How long have you been corresponding?" We said, "around six months." Then he said, "Go home and bring the letters you wrote to each other." So the next day we went back with all the letters. (My letters were all dictated by my grandmother.) He said, "I'll study these letters. Come back tomorrow." Son on January 13 we went back. He murmured something and reluctantly gave us the marriage license. Dad was 32 adn I was 17. The three trips that we made to the Norristown court house a local reporter followed us for a human interest story. My, what a story! (You will see later.)

On January 14, 1914 my sister-in-law called the Methodist preacher, Rev. William Ireland Reed. We got married at Dr. Pavlides' parlor. Mr. & Mrs. H. Sarandes and Dr. & Mrs. Pavlides, just four people and a 3-year old baby Ernest, that is all. No Guests. We had cake and ice cream, but no special wedding cake.

When we went to bed that night I blew out the gas jet. After a while I smelled something and it was getting worse by the minute. I asked my husband what smelled. (I found out later that his smell was very poor.) He said, "I don't smell anything." It got worse. I said, "Get up. Something is wrong." He said, "How did you put the light out?" "I blew it" I said. He quickly turned off the jet, opened the windows, and told me NEVER again to blow - just turn it off. We didn't have gas in the old country, so how could I know? We could both have been killed that night. Aren't you glad my smell is good?

Well, a couple of days later the weekly Conshohocken paper came. On the first page 3rd column: HOW A CHILDHOOD ROMANCE COMES TRUE: PAUL 22, ANNA 18. (They shortened my name and his age.) On the beach in Greece playing in the sand and building castles of sand, dreaming of going to America. Paul said to Anna, "When I go to America, I'll make money and send for you." Paul kept his promise. He showed a wad of money at Ellis Island. The Norristown paper said: TRAVELED 27 DAYS TO MARRY CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART. I was so mad when they told me it was our story which they mate up with extreme exaggeration. Our Story? I couldn't believe my eyes. There were our hames. I said, "Why, why? It is not true. That reporter followed us everywhere we were. "It isn't true!" They said, "It makes good reading and sells more papers." To this day I don't have any respect for Reporters. I wish I had saved those papers but I threw them away.

Now about the Wedding Picture
Some months later we were invited to visit some friends of my husband's. Every place we went they would show us their wedding pictures, with bridesmaids, ushers, ring boys, and flower girl. One day when we came home after a visit like that I started crying. "We didn't have a wedding. We didn't have any guists. I didn't wear a white wedding dress, and we don't even have a wedding picture to prove that we got married." Dear resourceful dad: He calls Mr. Aivazian the photographer and tells him, "My wife is crying because she does not have any wedding picture, and we can't take it now because she is seven months pregnant." Mr. Aivazian says, "Borrow a wedding dress and a dark suit for you, with a bow tie, and come over. I'll fix it and nobody can tell she is pregnant." I borrowed Mrs. Shahmian's dress, paid ten cents for the garland in my hair, $1.00 for some artificial flowers, and went to the studio. Well, you all have our wedding picture. When we had our 15th, 35th, and 50th anniversaries with many friends and relatives, he would whisper in my ear, "Does this make up for the wedding we did not have?" Dear, dear dad - he was very good!