... I have been fascinated by your family history - the photos and the narrative are extraordinary. Your website does it great justice. Also, the resemblance between you and your grandfather! David Newton, San Francisco, California.
... You've done a great job tracing back your family roots. It is most impressive. Bob Milian.
... You are lucky to have an Armenian history. So much of my past is a mystery. Mariam Donerian.
... I will certainly add both your sites to my links section. I will also link two other sites I found on your 'Resources' page. Michael Bagratuni, Deputy Chief of Mission, Webmaster, Armenian Embassy, Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA.
... It is fascinating. A real multimedia event. Herbe Gruber, Stoney Creek, Ontario.
... I visited your site, and was surprised to see such good pictures of Varak. My grandparents came from there. My grandfather Sarkis Bedrosian, in 1913, and my grandmother Nazlu, in 1920. Thank you for adding a link to my page. I would like to get my Armenian page linked to more Armenian sites. Barry Bardukian.
... Your web site is fantastic! ... once again, great job on the web site! Hank Sarkis.
... Thank you so much for all that you've undertaken. The portrait of our great grand father hanging in our living room - for too long just an abstract figure - is back to life. I can never thank you enough. Charles Donelian, Golfe Juan, France
... We have spent some time perusing your family website and found it most interesting. The pictures, fitted to the history, made it come to life. Carolyn and Paul Irwin, Kincardine, Ontario.
... You have a very nice website. If I may impose on you, I would like to get scans of the (Hampikian) photos in the collection I do not have. I will check your site against my collection here to see if there are any we lack (I think there are a couple, at least). Marc Mamigonian, Director of Publications and Programs, National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), Belmont, Massachusetts.
... I have done some research on the social life, and originis, which happened before 1915 in Van . In doing this research , I found out how the people damaged each other's life, and social conditions, with these conflicts. While I was researching, I found your web page. Akin Kartal, Van/Turkey.
... Congratulations for your superb web site. I discovered it with a great emotion. My whole family was from Afyon Karahisar. My parents came to France from an English orphanage in Greece (Corfu). They were too young to remember details on the family. Once, I met an old "Afyontsi" who said me: "I was told by my grand father that, in past times, seven Armenian families settled in Afyon Karahisar. From where I do not know." Now, I am 67 years old and I am trying to collect information on our family. Arthur J. Hadjian, Grenoble-France.
... As an Afyon Karahisartsi I was fascinated by your superb website. It is wonderful that you know so much of your family history. The website, too, is beautifully presented. Both my father and mother came from Afyon Karahisar (and my wife is half Afyontsi half Giligiatsi). My grandparents were Bodossians, Boursalians, Khatchigians and Kalemkerians. Like most other Armenian families we have only sparse information regarding our history before the Genocide. Your family is extremely fortunate to have a clearer picture. Haig Bodossian, London, England.
... Congratulations for the wonderful work ... Your website is so rich ... surfing through the pages, I was impressed with the effort that was put in to bring this site into life, and overwhelmed with the nice Armenian traditional music in the background. Arpy Dekranian, Toronto, Ontario.
... We enjoyed your family website very much. What a rich heritage you have! Nasrene MacDonald, Light Romance Art Glass Studios, Elgin, Ontario.
... Thanks again for your assistance, and for the opportunity to see your family historical journeys in cyberspace. It was beautifully and deeply done. Cynthia Baldwin, Reno, Nevada.
... Nice job, John. Everything looks and sounds beautiful! Thank you for all the work you have done to make this such a gem. Donna Donelian-Hortian, Paramus, New Jersey.
... Many thanks again for your interest in our music ... and I visited your website ... beautifully done and interesting family history. Harold Hagopian, TRADITIONAL CROSSROADS, New York, New York.
... I visited your web site and wanted to write you. I am from Bitlis, and now live in Bitlis.I think that my family is Armenian, too. But now they are muslim. A Kurdish muslim women saved my grandfather during the Armenian Genocide, by taking him as one her own children. Two other persons were saved like that, and went to Canada. But now we do not know anything about them. I only want to know Armenians from Bitlis. Perhaps, I can find a way to our real history, and, so perhaps to relatives. Ferhat Ozaydinli, Bitlis, Turkey.
... I'm very happy to have come across to your website by chance. I am very touched to see the wonderful Donelian Family website. All excited, I called my brother right away, so he can check it out too. I will definitely pass it on to others. Silva Mermer, Thornhill, Ontario.
... I shared your web site with the Seattle Armenians e-mail group. It's always fun to view the various Armenian sites, and there are so many. Yours is by far one of the best! Sonia Tanielian, Seattle, Washington.
... It is Peter here at Kopriva Taylor ... I am totally impressed with your family webpage ... I have not seen anything like this before. I have forwarded it to my home so I can look at it there. Thank you for sending this to us. I too have been quite active in the family tree research for our family, and this will be a great asset. Thank you once again. Peter Lang, Administrator, Kopriva Taylor Community Funeral Home, Oakville, Ontario.
... I saw your web site on the net. I'm a Turkish man living in Izmir now. Actually my hometown is Afyon Karahisar. I'm very much interested history, especially the late Ottoman era. Now it is very interesting for me to contact people rooted from Afyon Karahisar. It was very sad story to remember those pity memories. Is it possible to exchange information about then Armenian Community, modern Afyon Karahisar City and much more issues? Esref METE - Izmir/Turkey.
... Congratulations on your website! You have done a wonderful job in documenting your family background. I hope I could do the same one day. I am just getting started on my family genealogy tree. Most of the Toungaians now reside in Detroit, Mi, Argentina and California. Today's generation are getting intermarried, and we are loosing our heritage, and that is one of the reason I am documenting . I am 65 years old, and the last surviving son of Krikor & Margaret Toungaian. My dad was born in Cessaria, Turkey, and my mother in Sepastia, Turkey. My parents met in Paris, France, and were married in the mid 1920's. We, the Armenians, have a similar history of our ancestors. I was named after my mother's father Ohannes. My dad also immigrated to Paris, France via an English orphanage in Corfu, Greece around the early 1920's. He was too young to remember details of his family, other than he mentioned he has a sister by the name of Araxi who, by some luck, turned up in Trenton, New Jersy. I remember him telling me how beautiful Corfu is, with it's beaches and mountains. I am planning to visit Corfu in May 2008, and hope to find the English orphanage that my dad so much talked about. My question is where do I start finding this orphanage, if it still exists? Your assistance is appreciated, since you have done so much research into your family history, and you have learned the loops. Thank You. Best Regards, John Toungaian, Los Angeles, CA.
Ludwig Pullirsch from Austria indicated your website to me. I wish to congratulate you on this most informative page on your family history, combined with Armenian culture. With my best wishes, I remain sincerely yours, Maria Anna Labi, Institut für Verfahrenstechnik, Johannes Kepler Universität, Linz, Austria.
... Dear John Donelian: What a wonderfull web site you have! Congratulations. We are sending a copy of this email to http://www.crda-france.org/. I hope you register your family in http://www.inhomage.com/ "Our Dead have names". Best regards, Arsene, http://www.imprescriptible.fr. . p.s. A link has been placed in this website http://www.armenweb.org/ "Sites personnels".
... Dear Mr. Donelian: I was browsing your wonderfulsite when I noticed the family signette ring with the date and monogram. This is an important Armenian artefact that deserves publication in an Armenian Scholarly Journal (Armenian Numismatic Journal or Revue De Etudes Armeniens). I wonder if you may be interested in writing a paper on the family - relations with the ring, its history. I know of one paper written by the late Dr. Bedoukian about a collection of rings like this he once owned or saw, but most were from New Julfa or Tiflis with persian and georgian legends complementing the Armenian one, I believe this is the first confirmed example of such a type from western Asia minor. I believe it would be extremely usefulto write a one or two page paper on the subject. Sincerely, Levon Vrtanesyan.
... Dear Mr Donelian: I was fortunate to find your website, and so glad you have placed information on Afyon Karahissar online. I am from Australia, and have been researching the fate of the Allied Prisoners of War during WW1 who were held in the Armenian church in Afyon. I was wondering if you had any photos of the St Asdvadzadzin church at Afyon? Also, if you had any more literature on the history of the church. I commend you on your work, and hope to be in contact with you again soon. Regards: Vicken Babkenian.
... Dear John: I wandered into your website today while searching for Victorian reproduction furniture. What a delight! I have loved to learn of our own family history since I sat on my grandmother's lap 60 years ago and asked, "Please tell me stories about when you were a little girl". I have treasured and preserved family pictures we have inherited and I have boxes of research notes that I've done when time permits. Finding your beautifulwebsite will motivate me to try to assemble my inheritance of photos and knowledge. In the world of today,the bonds of family are often lost. Your work will bring so much joy to all who share your ancestry. You created a marvelous work of art. As I wander through life, there are unexpected blessings that come and surprise me. Armenian music stirs my soul. Best wishes to you and all who contributed to The Donelian Family.ca. Barbara Houck
Parev Baron Donelian, I found your website and really appreciated it! Congratulations for your efforts, I find it really important to make a trace of our people. I would like to have more details about the origins of the Armenian community of Afyon. Your familiy was coming from Karabagh. In another source, 2 other hypotheses are proposed: Nakhitchevan, Erevan, Georgia; Mesopotamia (Dikranaguert, Diyarbakir in turkish). Here is the link (written in french, only 4th and 5th paragraphes): Do you know more about this? I hope you will find it interesting. Waiting for your return. Chenorgal'em, Shakeh
