by Lisa Boghosian
About 18 years ago, a group of Armenians in Utah decided they wanted to compile their family history. They knew before they began that their mission was tough because there were virtually no genealogical records of Armenians available for research. Like millions of others, they had heard that all of the Armenian records were burned during the massacres. But to get down to the bottom of their roots they formed a not-for-profit foundation called the Armenian Genealogical Society, with Dr. Nephi K. Kezerian as the president. It's purpose was to locate and preserve Armenian genealogical records.
Representatives of the Society traveled to all parts of the Diaspora, including Australia, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Turkey, Armenia, and many other countries throughout the world. They looked for birth, marriage and death records; and census, tax, military, and refugee lists. They located genealogies, biographies, and newspapers. They tried to find cemetery inscriptions, look at immigration records, hospital patient lists, and voter and student registrations. Then, with permission, the documents were microfilmed.
Today, after more than 18 years of work, traveling to 24 countries, and spending four years writing a genealogical handbook for Armenians, the Armenian Genealogical Society now has 238 reels of microfilm in its collection.
Although the collection does not contain all of the Armenian records, it does represent those that have been located and allowed to be microfilmed. Many more records were found, but some countries were not receptive to having their documents filmed. "There are no Armenian records," says Dr. Kezerian, "is an often quoted statement that now is not true."
"During a ten-year period, Society representatives traveled gathering genealogical information," explains Dr. Kezerian. After locating the documents and the custodian agreeing to them being used for research, the records were microfilmed. A free copy was given to the custodian, and the film recorded in the Armenian collection by assigning a film number. Also recorded were things like the source of the roll, the dates of the film, the country and province where the record was located, and the language of the film. A few of the films coming from the Middle-East are written in Arabic, and most texts are in Armenian. Some are in Turkish and in English- it just depends where the records originated.
"Next we needed to find a place that was easily accessible to many people," says Dr. Kezerian. To solve this dilemma, the collection was made accessible through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) Family History Library, the largest family history library in the world. Since its beginning in 1894, the library has collected over 200,000 books, 8 million family groups, 70,000 family histories and many other records.
Since 1938, its microfilming program has amassed over 1.5 million rolls of genealogical records from across the globe. Its International Genealogical Index lists over 150 million persons with birth, christening, marriage, and death data. Its extensive holdings include U.S. Federal Census from 1790 through 1920, ship passenger lists, military records, Social Security death lists, and vital church and government records. Master copies of the film are preserved and protected in the Granite Mountain Vault of the Utah Genealogical Society.
"You don't have to be Mormon to use the library's holdings," says Dr. Kezerian. "In fact, over 70 percent of those using the library are not members of the LDS Church. And you don't have to be in Utah to get copies of the film. Anyone can go to one of the hundreds of Family History Library centers located throughout the world and rent the microfilmed documents for two-week periods for about $3.50 per roll, or on permanent loan for about $5 to $6 per roll.
"Also, film can be accessed at most public libraries that have interlibrary loan/rental arrangements. As of May 1992, the Los Angeles Public Library is the first public library to have a set of the Armenian Genealogical Society's 'unrestricted' film collection. (Unrestricted means that the records are 70 or more years old.)"
But the Armenian Genealogical Society didn't stop there- it also put together a handbook Genealogy for Armenians, to motivate, instruct and provide beginning genealogists with the tools needed to help them get started. This 164-page document discusses the importance of genealogy, the basic steps of Armenian family research. It lists the beginning Armenian microfilm index, and explains how to record a pedigree chart and keep notes through the process. It also gives a summary of services and records in the United States, and talks about different genealogical software available. In the back, blank master forms have been provided for duplication purposes. "The book is available through us at a cost of $10" says Dr. Kezerian. "We don't make any profit on the book, it just goes to cover the expenses of the printing, binding and mailing."
Today, thanks to the dedicated work of the Armenian Genealogical Society, Armenians can begin work on preserving their own family history- all that is needed is interest and drive. As Alex Haley, best selling author of Roots, said "In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep to know our heritage- to know who we are and where we have come from. Without this enriching knowledge there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainment in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness and the most disquieting loneliness."
To order a copy of Genealogy for Armenians, send your name, address, and personal check or money order to P.O. Box 1383, Provo, UT 84603. Information also available on Internet at gfa@itsnet.com
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Armenia: A New Era
