From Sole to Somm

 The Normart Family Tree

Chapter 2

The Normart Family Tree

As I look back on my life experiences and the journey that led me here, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude for the generations that came before me. My family’s story is woven into the fabric of who I am, and let me tell you, it’s a tapestry rich with resilience, adaptation, and the pursuit of a better future.

In the last chapter, we dove into what grounds me. Now, I find myself drawn to unravel the threads of my family’s history. It’s time to tie it all together and see how the lessons of the past have shaped the person I am today. I’m going to start from my family history, then weave in some material from my “Soleman” blogs, bringing it all up to where I am now. You know, I feel I’m a better writer than when I started this project back in 2019. I’ve always wanted to use this material to write a book for future generations, and here we are.

And yes, there will be a few mentions of shoes and wine along the way. After all, those are the passions that fuel my soul.

I can’t begin this, without acknowledging my Grandmother Si, Mary Ahronian, Mary Avakian Golder, Anne Avakian, Linda Avakian, and others who tirelessly researched the beginnings of our family history. Without the stories behind them, it’s just names and dates, but through their efforts, they bring our ancestors to life. Their dedication has transformed a mere genealogy into a rich narrative filled with resilience and hope. Many thanks from myself and future generations to come for preserving these invaluable stories.

Roots and Branches

We’re going to kick things off by focusing on my dad’s side of the family and how his relatives made the big move from Armenia to the US. We’ll dive into how the name Normart came about and how both the Normart and Avakian sides of the family experienced the Russo-Turkish War. Trust me, it’s quite a tale.

Now, don’t worry, we’ll get to my mom’s side of the family in the next chapter. That’s where we’ll explore The Osterholtz Family Tree From Germany to the USA. That side of the family is German and Swedish, with names like Osterholtz and Peterson. Fun fact: I get my height from my mom’s dad, so stay tuned for that story.

You know, when I look back at old family pictures, I’m the tall pale face among the Armenian side of the family. It’s somewhat comical, really. I guess you could say I experienced diversity at an early age!

So, buckle up, folks. We’re about to take a journey through time, tracing the footsteps of those who came before us. It’s a story of immigration, adaptation, and the pursuit of the American dream. And who knows? You might just find some parallels to your own family history along the way.

Let’s dive in and see how the past has shaped our present, and how it continues to influence our future. After all, understanding where we come from is often the key to figuring out where we’re going.

The Early Years late 1700’s

As I delve into the journals that chronicle my family’s origins, I’m struck by the courage and determination of my ancestors. It’s like uncorking a vintage bottle of wine – each sip reveals a new layer of complexity and depth.

In 1776, while America was taking its first wobbly steps as a nation, a man named Markar was setting up shop as a tailor in Erzurum. Talk about parallel storylines! He met and married Mariam, and together they welcomed their son, Nazareth, in 1782. It’s fascinating to imagine the world they inhabited, a world that would eventually give rise to my own existence. I can almost picture Markar, hunched over his work, stitching together not just clothes, but the very fabric of our family’s future.

Nazareth, following in the footsteps of his parents, eventually tied the knot with Anna Kasigian. From their union, another Markar was born – my 3rd great-grandfather. Now, Markar managed to win the heart of Elizabeth (Yakood) Chakalian on December 1, 1836.

And boy, did they take the “be fruitful and multiply” directive seriously! They had 9 children. I can just imagine the chaos and laughter that must have filled their home – it was probably louder than a bustling shoe store on a Saturday afternoon!

Yanikian Children         

• Gregory (Krikor): Born in 1838 and lived until 1925 Married Goulizar Pambookjian 1855, Had 13 children (8 died prematurely) immigrated to the USA 1891
• Frank (Mardiros): Born in 1841 and lived until 1928. He married Mary Gardiner in 1880, they had 6 children. He was the first to come to the USA in 1871 and felt so happy he changed the name from Yanikian to Normart which means “New Man “in Armenian.
• James (Mugerdich): Born in 1843 and lived until 1927. His first wife died in 1892; they had 1 child together. He immigrated to the USA in 1893 and remarries to Lydia Gardner. They had no children.
• Jack (Hagop): Born in 1845 and lived until 1916, he was a freedom fighter in Armenia and immigrated to the USA in 1893 in Fresno. He never married.
• Heripsima: Their first daughter graced the family from 1848 to 1895. She married peter Papoojian and died in Russia at the age of 47. They had 6 children (3 died prematurely)
• Harutun: Born and died in 1851, a reminder of how fragile life could be back then.
• Mariam: Another daughter who only stayed for a brief moment from 1855 to 1856, which must have been heartbreaking for Markar and Elizabeth.
• Pascal: Born in 1858 and living until 1927, He married Virginia Kurkjian on February 2, 1880, in his hometown. They had six children during their marriage. He became my 2nd great-grandfather.
• Kaiana: Their last child lived from 1862 to 1908. She also stayed in Armenia and only lived to 46. They had no children.

Looking at this list, I’m struck by the resilience of my ancestors. Despite losing two children in infancy, and others that lost children early too, they persevered, crafting a legacy one child at a time. Each name represents a life lived, choices made, and paths taken that eventually led to me. It’s humbling and awe-inspiring all at once. Like a fine wine, our family history has layers of complexity, each generation adding its own unique notes to the blend. 

Erzurum and the Russo-Turkish War

Erzurum was part of the Ottoman Empire in 1877, a strategic location during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. This city was a major center of Armenian culture, known for trades like jewelry, tailoring, blacksmithing, and masonry. The population of Armenians in 1829 was around 30,000, but by 1909, it had dwindled to just 15,000, largely due to the devastation during World War I.

The Russo-Turkish War and the Armenian Genocide

As I read about the horrors that unfolded in Erzurum during the Russo-Turkish War, my heart aches for the suffering of my early relatives. The thought of women being nailed to walls like crucifixes is almost too much to bear. It’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit that any of my family managed to survive such atrocities.

The Journey to America

There were growing problems between the Armenians and the Turkish government. The “Armenian Genocide” in which over a million people were killed happened around 1915. My Great-great grandfathers’ brother Frank (Mardiros) Yanikian was escaping Armenia because of the wars and turmoil and traveling down this road he witnessed many Armenian women being crucified on crosses. He witnessed many more atrocities of war while fleeing his homeland country.

This account was in his journal of how he came over to the USA. He was very sick on the boat ride over suffering from smallpox and when he landed in Philadelphia in 1871, he was so grateful to be free from oppression he made the comment “I feel like a Normart” which is Armenian for “New Man”. So, when he went through the immigration process our family name was changed from Yanikian to Normart. He visited the Fresno area in 1874 and since it reminded him so much of his homeland, he praised the Fresno area when he went back to the East Coast. This started a migration of many Armenian families to Fresno which has quite the Armenian population today.

When he encouraged the rest of the family to join him in this new land, he was setting the stage for a new chapter in our story.

From 1888 through 1893, Pascal, Gregory, James, Jack, and Elizabeth all moved to Fresno. Lily, born to Pascal and Virginia, was believed to be the first Armenian child born in Fresno. They left just in time to miss the Armenian Genocide that occurred from 1915 to 1917, during which an estimated 600,000 to 1.5 million Armenians were killed through massacres, forced marches, and starvation. This tragic event played a significant role in shaping the concept of genocide in international law.

Pascal Normart

My Great–Great Grandfather–Pascal Normart was the 8th and youngest child of Markar and Yakood Yanikian. He was born October 1, 1858. He along with his brothers ran a variety store in Armenia called Yanikian Freres.  He came to the United States in 1888 to join his brother Mardiros. He married Verkina (Virginia) Kurkjian Feb. 2,1880. Her father died when she was young, and her mother re-married to Andrew Antony who was the Consul from Italy for Erzurum. They were well to do and well educated. When they immigrated to America, they brought much jewelry and fine clothing, but her family had to sell most of it to help support the family. Pascal and Verkina had 6 children including my great grandfather Onig Normart. Two of the children died early. Pascal’s 5th child, Lily was believed to be the first Armenian child born in Fresno, Calif. Pascal became a citizen three years later. He was a farmer, buying a 60-acre farm and raised Alfalfa. He loved politics and a good debate. Pascal died January 8th, 1927.  They had six children:

·      Armen: 1880 – 1950

·      Angela: 1882 – 1958

·      Onig (My Great-Grandfather): 1884 – 1969

·      Jewel: 1886 – 1886

·      Deran: 1887 – 1888

·      Lily: 1889 – 1976

Onig “Nig” Normart

Onig (Nig) Normart was born in Erzurum on Jan 22, 1884. He married Mollie Weber (who was born 2-25-1887 in Messer, Russia) December 19, 1906. They knew her parents wouldn’t consent, so they eloped to San Francisco., they had three children (the first one died at 6 months old) Doris who was born 7-14-1908 and William (my grandfather) 7-20-1910.

When they were courting, she lived in “Russia town” and he lived in the part of town where most of the Armenians lived. Because of racial prejudice he got into many fights before he would arrive. He turned into a professional boxer on April 8, 1903.

Before they were married Nig would go to the firehouse and train to be a boxer. His favorite training method was running 10 miles on the railroad ties to sharpen his eyes and coordination. He started his boxing career in 1903. His record was 13-4-2.

Record of his Fights

• First fight against George Tubbs was a draw, he was struggling in the fight at first but then held on to the draw.
• Second fight against Sol Levinson was a 20 rounder and he knocked the guy out in the 17th round.
• Third fight was against Tubbs again and it was a draw again.
• Fourth fight Walter Robinson was next and Nig got the decision in 20 rounds.
• Fifth fight They met again the next January and Nig put him away in the first round.
• Sixth fight Nig fought Tubbs again a third time but knocked him out in the 9th.

Many old timers believed Nig could have been the world featherweight champion, but he fought Joe Reilly in 1906 and lost a 40-round decision.

Nig always had a good sense of humor, he was to fight Caesar Attell in 1904, (Abe Attell’s brother and favored to win 3-1) and at the weigh in, Caesar showed up all decked out in a derby, striped suit, checkered vest and pearl button shoes. Nig turned to his manager and asked if that was the man he was to fight. He said it was. Then Nig told him: “I don’t want to fight him; I want to kiss him”. Nig knocked him out in the 12th round.

Johnny Bryant was next, and they fought a draw in the first fight, but Nig knocked him out in 12 rounds in the re-match. Nig fought Danny Sullivan next and won by a foul because Sullivan kept hitting him with dirty blows. 

He was to fight five bouts in Los Angeles in 1907 and if he impressed would get the chance to fight Abe Attell for the world featherweight championship. He had a string of 13 victories, but he got talked into fighting Reilly again and lost after another 20 rounder. In the re-match Nig beat Reilly badly for 20 rounds. It was his best fight. A few months later he fought Clarence Ferns and won by KO in the 13th. The next Reilly fight Nig broke a bone in his hand in the 2nd round and continued to fight for 40 rounds but lost in a decision.

He announced his retirement after that fight but got coaxed back into the ring in yet another Reilly fight but lost in a 40-round decision. Reilly was the only fighter to beat Nig.

 In 1910 he was talked into his last fight, for a 10 rounder with Kid Burley that ended in a draw. He quit the ring after that as his wife didn’t want him fighting anymore. Nig fought all his fights with 5-ounce gloves and no tape because it wasn’t used back then. He said he had many fights after that, but they weren’t in the ring.

The Ghost Story

There was a story of a ghost in an old house in Laton. The “ghost” would go to the windows and scare people away. Nig walked into the house and waited for the “ghost”, he showed up behind him and let out a big screech trying to scare him. He grabbed him and marched him outside exposing him to the crowd of people there watching. The “ghost” said he was so mad at him he felt like punching him, so Nig beat him to it and knocked him out.

Fireman Too!

Nig also was a fireman while he trained and rose his way up to Assistant fire chief. He quit the fire dept and went into a ranch partnership with his cousins in Madera, It wasn’t successful so he moved back to Fresno and started the Valley Auto Wrecking with his brother Armen. Nig Enjoyed Cigars and beer and said he had 8 cigars a day and 4-5 beers.

He loved being around his children and grandchildren and commented “my children and grandchildren are so good it’s making it hard for me to die”. I remember visiting him towards the end of his life and he always had stories to tell and candy that he would give to us. Mollie lived until 1966 and Nig followed her in 1969.

William Normart Sr.

My Grandfather, William Normart was born on July 20, 1910. His father was Onig  Normart. My Grandfather would often tell stories of how when he was only 5 years old that he would go to the firehouse where his dad worked, and he would get to slide down the pole to the first floor. When the fire alarm would go off the firemen would light the fire under the steam pumper and then drop the harnesses on the horses and off, they would go. His father was the first assistant chief.  in 1917 his dad quit the fire department and bought a ranch in Madera, so he actually did have to walk a mile to school!

Christmases were very eventful, and he recalled his Uncle Armen putting 5-dollar gold pieces inside the walnut shells that would hang on the tree and each child would get one. He went to elementary school at the Fresno Normal school which eventually became Fresno State College.

The Mountains

 In 1920 his father started taking him to the mountains, Yosemite, Sequoia and Huntington Lake. It would take them a day and a half to get there in the Model T they had (as compared to 1 1/2 hours now). He recalls times that they would have a tough time getting the car up the mountain and would have to push it a ways then put a big rock behind the tires so they could rest a bit before they started up again. 4-cylinder Dodges would pass them by often, so his dad eventually bought one and solved the car problem.

They often camped at Will O’ the Wisp store (which I also remember as a child). He held different jobs as a young man and working at a service station he joined a fraternity in which he met his future brother-in-law, Mike Avakian. My Grandmother Sevart (Si) Avakian met my grandfather at her brother Mike’s service station where grandpa asked her to a dance. Grandpa would go to plays my grandmother was in with Mike and soon they found themselves seeing each other more often. After a year of courtship, they married November 9th, 1935. Mike Avakian was grandpa’s best man. They went to San Francisco for their honeymoon. he saved enough money to buy their first house for $2,600 in 1936—can you believe it?

 My Dad was born October 19th, 1936, and Grandpa was so proud he named him after his name. On May 7, 1942, they had a daughter Linda. Grandpa was learning to become a machinist, so he worked 8 hours at one job then another 8 hours learning the trade. He did this until 1944 then having enough money he started his own shop. 6 months later he became the machinist for Sandstorm Mfg. Co.

Grandpa would often make his own parts to fix peoples machines. In 1970 the company sold, and grandpa retired a few years later.

Huntington Lake Cabin

In 1958 My grandmother wanted a cabin at Huntington Lake, so they bought a shell of a cabin, and the family pitched in and did all the work to get it ready. They travelled the mountains getting various rocks and made a retaining wall and BBQ pit. They travelled Europe, All over the USA and Hawaii. The fondest memories however were from the Cabin at Huntington Lake. Grandpa was a great role model for me, very hard working, and very loyal to my grandmother. I remember catching my first fish with him and he was so patient in teaching me what he knew. I miss him so much but feel very fortunate to have had him in my life for so long. Grandpa passed away February 2006.

William Normart Jr.

When William Normart was born on October 19, 1936, in Fresno, California, his father, William, was 26 and his mother, Servart, was 22. His sister Linda was born on May 7, 1942, in Fresno, California, when William was 5 years old.

He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Fresno in 1954, Enlisted in the Army and served in Japan 1955-1956 as a Corporal in the records area. There wasn’t a war at the time as the Korean War ended in 1953 and the Vietnam War was just starting but US involvement didn’t really happen until the 60’s.

When he got back to the states, he went to Fresno State College Where he met my mother, Wilma until 1958 and was in the Theta Chi Fraternity. He started with Sears around this time and worked his way up to management. He managed several different areas in his Sears career, Toys, Sporting Goods, HR and finally managed catalog stores in Clovis and Madera.

He married my mom, Wilma Lee Osterholtz in las Vegas, Nevada, on June 28, 1959, when he was 22 years old.  They had three sons.

• Michael, Dec. 18,1959-
• Douglas March 29.1963-
• David, April 20,1966-

In 1979 my parents got divorced and he transferred to Idaho and managed the Lewiston and Clarkston catalog stores. 

He then married Ophelia Galvin in Nevada on April 28, 1979, when he was 42 years old.  Sears closed the catalog stores in 1987 and turned the Lewiston store into a retail model. My Dad and Ophelia Divorced in 1989.

He was managing the retail Lewiston store when he met Roberta Tamara Rose and they eventually married on November 24, 1993, when he was 57 years old. My dad finally met the one. They had such a good time together and enjoyed their home and all the things they liked to do together. I was happy for him. We would visit them and have a great time fishing and doing some BBQ. I learned from him and my uncle Joe all the bbq tricks, which is why I still love doing it today.

Premium Vodka story

Full transparency, he drank cheap alcohol. I think he got it from his dad. I remember going up to Idaho with a big bottle of Grey Goose vodka. I pulled out and said “Dad, I bought you a bottle of premium vodka”. He looked at me and said he’s been drinking premium vodka for years. I looked at him perplexed like “when did this change”. He went to the cupboard and pulled out a plastic jug that said, “Premium Vodka”. He wasn’t lying, I guess. He did enjoy the bottle I got him though. From that day forward anytime, I went to visit him, I’d send a case of nice wine for us to enjoy during our visit. On one occasion for his birthday, I had the owner of “Utopia” wines in Oregon curate a case for his birthday.

 I also bought a $150 bottle for us to enjoy together. We were having the utopia wine, and we decided to open the expensive bottle to cap the evening off. We were leaving the next day so we each just had a glass. He loved it. I told him to enjoy the rest with Tamara. We said our goodbyes and the following year we did the same. We were having wine and he said, “I think I still have a good bottle you sent me”. He came out with the $150 bottle we had last year. I said that’s probably vinegar now, and it was. He drank it though lol.

Retirement

He retired from Sears after 40 years in 1999. Those of you who knew my dad know he wasn’t one to sit still for very long. He would run the Bloomsday Run every year starting in the 80’s which involved 50,000 participants and was 7.5 miles long through long windy roads in scenic areas of Spokane Washington. He even talked Tamara, my Stepmom into it once.

He also did a bike ride event up a mountain in Lewiston called “I made the Grade”. He had a passion for tennis and enjoyed beating younger players (including myself) whenever he had the chance. I remember getting involved in tennis when I was in Jr. High to High School, and I could beat him then, but I stopped playing and he kept going. He would get up early and play several sets each day depending on who was around to play. He had a knack for placing the balls just so and running me or others all over the court. He came to visit once in 2013, and I just joined a tennis club trying to get back into it. We took him to the country club and to the special courts they had there.

The Challenge

He challenged me “I don’t think you will even win one game off me”. At 0-5 games I was playing for honor now, so I dug deep and aced him a few times (I did have a nice Power serve when it worked) to get the win. I guess I should have dug deep the last 5 games but he clearly was better than I was. Funny how getting your butt whipped by your dad and only winning 1 game can be a “proud moment”.

My dad also got into Golf, we enjoyed playing golf together whenever we could, and we had some great moments together on the golf course.

In 2006 he couldn’t take it anymore and decided to manage a “Habitat for Humanity” store. He did that for 4 years and loved it. I would call him on the way to work each day and we would always talk “Shop” he was a great mentor for me in Retail and in Life.

In May of 2015, he had a heart attack. I flew up to see him and he pulled through the surgery like a champ. My daughter Jennifer who lived in the Seattle area even stopped by while I was there. He was told to “relax” for three months. That was hard for him but at three months and a day he went fishing and as he pulled up the boat, he had a second heart attack. I remember Tamara calling me while I was at the gym, she said he went into the ICU. I asked if I needed to fly up and she said she would let me know. A few hours later I got the second call…

He died that day on October 10, 2015, in Idaho at the age of 78. I miss him, every time I BBQ, I lift a glass to toast him. I always feel close to him by doing this. miss you Dad…

Avakian Family

Meanwhile on My Grandmothers side, not much on my 3^rd great Grandfather Toros other than he was born in 1818 in Kharpert, Armenia and was a farmer. No info on his wife but he had a child Avak (My 2^nd Great Grandfather) and he married Mary Avedisian. They had 5 Children:

Avakian Children

Lucy 1863 – 19?

Sahag 1865 – 1956

Peter 1875 – 1949 (Great Grandfather)

Anna 1879 – 1957

Simon – 1881 – 1955

Peter Avakian

Peter Avakian was my great grandfather. He lived in Harpoot Armenia which is where he was born. He fought the Turks in the mountains near his village. He joined a rebel army and encountered several battles before he was captured with his companions. They were to be shot the next morning but during the night the Turkish guard, who was an Armenian sympathizer let Peter and his companions escape into the night.

He settled in Worcester, Massachusetts and learned English at night while working at factories and a leather shop in the daytime. He would send money to his family in hopes they could join him in this new land. His brothers Sahag and Simon and sister Anna, along with their families soon had enough to make the voyage over.

His parents were killed in the Armenian Genocide. He married Diroohi Hagopian and moved to Lowell Massachusetts. Soon after that they moved to Lynn Massachusetts Where their 2nd daughter was born. In 1901 he moved to Fresno, Calif. because he heard it was like Armenia. He bought a 20-acre ranch on Monroe Ave but later moved to Fowler, California and bought a 60-acre ranch there.

He became a US citizen in 1906.  My Grandmother Servart (Si) was his last child born in 1914. 4 years later their house burned down losing most of their possessions. They moved to Fresno in 1919 on Thesta St for a few months, then a friend found a 5-acre estate on the corner of Butler and Orange. Peter payed $5,000 cash. Peter died in 1949.

Peter Avakian And Dorothy’s Children:

Lucy 1900 – 1991

Mary 1901 – 1985

Annie 1904 – 1992

Richard 1907 – 1977

Martin 1909 – 1982

Servart (SI) 1914 – 2008 (My Grandmother)

My Wonderful Grandma “Si”

Servart or “Si” as we called her was my grandmother. Servart means “Sweet Rose” in Armenian. She was born on her family’s ranch in Fowler, California which was near Fresno.  Their house burned down in 1918, and all the birth dates were in the family bible which was lost in the fire. Her father guessed her birthday as January 15^th so she celebrated twice a month. My grandmother was an excellent Piano and organ player. She recalls this story in her journal:

“My father used to take us to the Raison Day Parade which was a big event. When the marching band would play, I would start to clap and jump to the tunes. As soon as we would go home, I would find the tune on the piano and play with one finger. Music encouraged me to play any tune that I would hear, and I was always “tickling the ivories”.

Finally, when I was 9 years old my mother wanted to take me to piano lessons. My first teacher was Bessie Mugg Zimmerman. After a year, she retired so I started with Dan Popovich with whom I studied with for ten years. He never had his students in recitals but would ask me to play as a guest soloist for other programs in Fresno. Later I studied the organ with Mr. Popovich and Arthur Lukin, who played at my wedding.

My grandparents were married in November of 1935 at the Holy Trinity Church. They went to San Francisco for their honeymoon for one week. When they came back Molly found them a house on Lyle Ave which was one block from Si’s parents home.  After they married, she would sing with the Fresno Woman’s chorus for many years. She became the president of the organization for one term

My Dad William jr.  was born in 1936. My aunt Linda was born in 1942. They loved to camp at Huntington Lake for weekend trips. They would camp and catch fish and generally have a good time up there. In 1959 they bought an unfinished cabin and would go up every weekend to work on it. My grandmother meant the world to me. She was such a sweet person. I have so many fond memories of her. My parents were married in 1959, and I was born in December of the same year.

I have fond memories of spending time at the cabin and watching grandma and grandpa play cards together. She was so animated, and he was a stone poker face. It was quite comical to watch. She always called grandpa “Daddy” and when she get annoyed with him she say “Oh Bill”. She was an amazing cook with Armenian food, I really miss those days. She could do it all. I didn’t appreciate it fully until she gifted me a few Armenian cookbooks and I tried to do them myself. It was a lot of work to get it to “Grandma” standards. With watching grandma do it a few times and again with my dad’s wife Tamara guidance,  I could do a few things pretty close.

• William Jr – 1936 – 2015
• Linda – 1942 –

The Early years and what they mean

I have had a good time researching my family history. Luckily for me my Grandmother Si, Mary Ahronian, Mary Avakian Golder, Anne Avakian, Linda Avakian, and others put together two beautiful books and with the help of Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com I was able to round it out. There is still so much to do to modernize the books, but the groundwork is there at least.

As I reflect on the stories of my ancestors, I’m struck by the resilience, adaptability, and determination that runs through my veins. They faced unimaginable challenges, from war and genocide to starting over in a new country, but they never lost sight of the future. Their ability to embrace change and create a better life for themselves and their families is a testament to the human spirit.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have grown up in the family that I did. My childhood was a foundation of love, support, and wonderful memories that have shaped the person I am today. In the next chapter, I’ll talk about my mother’s side of the family.