Zabel (Isabel) was born in Kirsehir, Turkey around 1906-1907, even though her birth year was sometimes listed as 1909. Her naturalization gave December 17, 1906, while her death certificate has December 1907. Her father's naturalization listed her birthday instead as December 1907. Most Armenians did not keep track of the exact date and years would vary upon immigration. Her obituary listed her as age 54 which lines up with 1906. One complicating factor in determining Zabel's true age is that her older sister Zarouhi would later use fall 1907 as her own birthdate, which would make her younger than her younger sister. Perhaps it goes back to their Ellis Island record, on which Zarouhi was listed as age 14 and Zabel age 12 when they arrived in June 1921, which would match up with 1907 for Zarouhi and 1909 for Zabel, or 1906 and 1908 presuming they hadn't reached their birthdays yet. However ship manifests often have inaccurate information information and seeing as Zabel was married the following year, it is highly unlikely she was that young. The marriage license actually listed Zabel born in January 1904, with her father attesting that she was 17 years old, however that was likely an overstatement, as was Zarouhi's marriage license a month later stating she was 18 born in March 1903. If it is accurate that Zabel was born around December 1907, she would have in fact just been turning 14, or just turning 15 if the naturalization record of December 1906 was correct, the latter somewhat more in-line with norms of the time and that is the birth year used here. This would mean that Zarouhi was most likely born in 1905, and her father's naturalization record does reflect that stating December 1905.
Zabel's family fled their hometown of Kirsehir in 1915 as they were warned the Armenian Genocide was coming. Her family settled in Istanbul and after the end of World War I made plans to go to America. Her father and brother went first in 1920 and later Zabel with her mother and sister Zarouhi left together in 1921 to join them. After settling in Philadelphia, Zabel's father set out to marry off his two teenage daughters. Single men from the local Armenian community called on the family to indicate their interest in the sisters. While the tradition was for the older one to marry first, when a man named Misak Attamian came to the door hearing about the available Baltaian girls, the older sister Zarouhi was ill, so instead the younger one Zabel was betrothed to him, quite young at probably only 14 or 15 years old. Arranged marriage was very common at the time for Armenian immigrant families trying to become established in America. They were married on November 26, 1921. Unfortunately it was not known that he had a venereal disease, of which he likely later died and which possibly led to Zabel's own infertility and death. After his death, Zabel married Sarkis Bogosian with whom she had a very happy marriage. Unable to have children, Zabel became like a surrogate mother to a young girl who many years later would recall her fondly as a kind and caring woman. Zabel also doted on her brother Manuel's two young children. Unfortunately Zabel developed metastatic abdominal cancer and died of it a year later.
Zabel's family fled their hometown of Kirsehir in 1915 as they were warned the Armenian Genocide was coming. Her family settled in Istanbul and after the end of World War I made plans to go to America. Her father and brother went first in 1920 and later Zabel with her mother and sister Zarouhi left together in 1921 to join them. After settling in Philadelphia, Zabel's father set out to marry off his two teenage daughters. Single men from the local Armenian community called on the family to indicate their interest in the sisters. While the tradition was for the older one to marry first, when a man named Misak Attamian came to the door hearing about the available Baltaian girls, the older sister Zarouhi was ill, so instead the younger one Zabel was betrothed to him, quite young at probably only 14 or 15 years old. Arranged marriage was very common at the time for Armenian immigrant families trying to become established in America. They were married on November 26, 1921. Unfortunately it was not known that he had a venereal disease, of which he likely later died and which possibly led to Zabel's own infertility and death. After his death, Zabel married Sarkis Bogosian with whom she had a very happy marriage. Unable to have children, Zabel became like a surrogate mother to a young girl who many years later would recall her fondly as a kind and caring woman. Zabel also doted on her brother Manuel's two young children. Unfortunately Zabel developed metastatic abdominal cancer and died of it a year later.
Zabel (Isabel) was born in Kirsehir, Turkey around 1906-1907, even though her birth year was sometimes listed as 1909. Her naturalization gave December 17, 1906, while her death certificate has December 1907. Her father's naturalization listed her birthday instead as December 1907. Most Armenians did not keep track of the exact date and years would vary upon immigration. Her obituary listed her as age 54 which lines up with 1906. One complicating factor in determining Zabel's true age is that her older sister Zarouhi would later use fall 1907 as her own birthdate, which would make her younger than her younger sister. Perhaps it goes back to their Ellis Island record, on which Zarouhi was listed as age 14 and Zabel age 12 when they arrived in June 1921, which would match up with 1907 for Zarouhi and 1909 for Zabel, or 1906 and 1908 presuming they hadn't reached their birthdays yet. However ship manifests often have inaccurate information information and seeing as Zabel was married the following year, it is highly unlikely she was that young. The marriage license actually listed Zabel born in January 1904, with her father attesting that she was 17 years old, however that was likely an overstatement, as was Zarouhi's marriage license a month later stating she was 18 born in March 1903. If it is accurate that Zabel was born around December 1907, she would have in fact just been turning 14, or just turning 15 if the naturalization record of December 1906 was correct, the latter somewhat more in-line with norms of the time and that is the birth year used here. This would mean that Zarouhi was most likely born in 1905, and her father's naturalization record does reflect that stating December 1905.
Zabel's family fled their hometown of Kirsehir in 1915 as they were warned the Armenian Genocide was coming. Her family settled in Istanbul and after the end of World War I made plans to go to America. Her father and brother went first in 1920 and later Zabel with her mother and sister Zarouhi left together in 1921 to join them. After settling in Philadelphia, Zabel's father set out to marry off his two teenage daughters. Single men from the local Armenian community called on the family to indicate their interest in the sisters. While the tradition was for the older one to marry first, when a man named Misak Attamian came to the door hearing about the available Baltaian girls, the older sister Zarouhi was ill, so instead the younger one Zabel was betrothed to him, quite young at probably only 14 or 15 years old. Arranged marriage was very common at the time for Armenian immigrant families trying to become established in America. They were married on November 26, 1921. Unfortunately it was not known that he had a venereal disease, of which he likely later died and which possibly led to Zabel's own infertility and death. After his death, Zabel married Sarkis Bogosian with whom she had a very happy marriage. Unable to have children, Zabel became like a surrogate mother to a young girl who many years later would recall her fondly as a kind and caring woman. Zabel also doted on her brother Manuel's two young children. Unfortunately Zabel developed metastatic abdominal cancer and died of it a year later.
Zabel's family fled their hometown of Kirsehir in 1915 as they were warned the Armenian Genocide was coming. Her family settled in Istanbul and after the end of World War I made plans to go to America. Her father and brother went first in 1920 and later Zabel with her mother and sister Zarouhi left together in 1921 to join them. After settling in Philadelphia, Zabel's father set out to marry off his two teenage daughters. Single men from the local Armenian community called on the family to indicate their interest in the sisters. While the tradition was for the older one to marry first, when a man named Misak Attamian came to the door hearing about the available Baltaian girls, the older sister Zarouhi was ill, so instead the younger one Zabel was betrothed to him, quite young at probably only 14 or 15 years old. Arranged marriage was very common at the time for Armenian immigrant families trying to become established in America. They were married on November 26, 1921. Unfortunately it was not known that he had a venereal disease, of which he likely later died and which possibly led to Zabel's own infertility and death. After his death, Zabel married Sarkis Bogosian with whom she had a very happy marriage. Unable to have children, Zabel became like a surrogate mother to a young girl who many years later would recall her fondly as a kind and caring woman. Zabel also doted on her brother Manuel's two young children. Unfortunately Zabel developed metastatic abdominal cancer and died of it a year later.
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