Martha Aramian was born on June 9th 1934 in Providence, Rhode Island. Her parents, Kazar and Nevart Aramian, were born in Turkey and migrated in
1926. Her mother, Nevart, was born in 1909, a few years before the Armenian Genocide
began. Kazar, her father, was born in 1908 in Kharpoot, Turkey, then came through Beirut (then part of the Syrian Arab Republic) and France before arriving in New York in
September 1926. He worked in Providence as a tobacco salesman (Standard Tobacco and Candy Co.) and the family resided on Crimea Street, very near to Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church. Martha was one of three daughters born to
Kasar and Nevart, the others being Sue and Margo.
Martha Aramian contributed to the Armenian Community in significant ways. She was a key facilitator of the creation of the Armenian Heritage Park in Providence. The
park was constructed in late 1995 and dedicated November of that year as a tribute to the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide. In the park there is
a small monument which states, “A tribute to honor our forefathers who searched for freedom and human dignity.” Three words—Heritage, Culture, and
Tradition—are highlighted in the center of the stone, and the text concludes with “Wherever Armenian is spoken and written Armenia lives.” According to the
memorial itself, it was a gift of Kazar and Nevart Aramian, who were themselves survivors of the genocide that began in 1915. The genocide left 1.5 million
Armenians dead, which was about 1/3 of the Armenian population. The men were usually murdered on the spot, whereas women and children were kidnapped, raped
and then murdered or left to die of “natural” causes.
Martha, along with her sisters, worked with the international YMCA to finance the Kazar and Nervart Aramian Child Center in Vanadzor, Armenia. The center opened in 1997 as a
non-governmental youth organization open to all people. The Child Center mainly
focuses on developing strong children, families and communities in Vanadzor. The organization offers many activities for children according to their
interests and needs, from dancing to computer courses.
Because of Martha’s contributions and dedication to the Armenian community, she received many awards. These include the Queen Zabel Award and Woman of the
Year award from the Armenian Masonic Degree Team of Rhode Island, which honors Armenians for their contributions to the Armenian Community, the Pillar of
Prelacy and the ANCA Eastern Region Vahan Cardashian Award. She also
received a key to the City of Providence from former Mayor Buddy Cianci. She passed away on January 11, 2014.
Anne Ledbetter, Student at Rhode Island College
Further Reading
Akçam, Taner. From Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide. New York: Zed Books, 2004.
Armenian Martyrs’ Memorial Committee, “Armenian Martyrs’ Memorial Monument, Providence, Rhode Island,” (Providence, R.I., 24 April 1977).
Balakian, Peter. The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America’s Response. New York: Perennial, 2003.
Karentz, Varoujan. Mitchnapert (The Citadel): A History of Armenians in Rhode Island. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse, Inc., 2004.