Several years ago Ann Krikorian surprised me with a large color photo taken about 30 years ago of a group of St. Sarkis Church Ladies’ Guild members standing in front of a beautifully set buffet table prior to the evening’s festivities. In the photo are my friends Takouhie Kakligian, presently residing in Illinois, and Natalie Papazian, both of whom also served on the Board of Trustees; the late Virginia Avedesian, who was once honored by the Prelacy for her years of service to the church; Ann Krikorian, who quickly was made chairlady; the late Yeretsgeen Arpine Shrikian, who was our unquestioned leader; Seta Mesropian, who put her artistic touch on everything; myself, who took over the post of secretary; and Anna Koloian, who like all the others excelled in the cooking arts. Not pictured is Florence Sharigian.
The table was set with fresh flowers and the silver candelabra Ann and I had donated for use at future functions. We were always looking for ways to improve the look of our table settings by up- grading the flatware, crystal, and china, and by adding centerpiece glass bowls, which in later years received a lot of use.
Expertly prepared sweets were generously laden onto platters for guests’ consumption, along with other traditional Armenian and Middle Eastern cuisine like kufta, boereg, sarma, cheese, lahmajoun, olives, hommous, and more.
If plates filled to the brim were an indication of pleasing appetites used to good food, then return trips for seconds assured us we had hit on the right formula.
These same ladies, with of course additional help, spent endless hours in the church kitchen preparing for the fall bazaar, and Palm Sunday dinner, and the Armenian Christmas luncheon, and creating other community events to fulfill the church’s needs.
Our quest was to stimulate community interest to support St. Sarkis Church, and when at our events every chair was occupied we knew our mission had been fulfilled. We had community support and the feeling was gratifying.
Yeretsgeen Arpine led us at our baking sessions with the amazing capability of opening several katah dough at one time. She was an authoritarian figure who was firm but fair. Some of us manned the ovens while others “opened” the dough. Others packaged and readied items for the freezer. We had a smooth assembly line. The older ladies were not reticent in throwing out advice, sometime causing confusion and hurt feelings, but this came with the territory. We learned to bite our tongue and shut our mouths. Our day would come to say, “Asang, anang ereh” (do it like this, like that).
One of our most memorable and proudest moments was planning the elaborate welcome for His Holiness, the Catholicos of Cilicia, Karekin I, and Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian. We pulled out all the stops in preparation for this very special evening filled with electric excitement. Our community showed up in unprecedented numbers to make the evening a huge success. Detroit was looking very good that night.
After the conclusion of Sunday Badarak, we presided over the coffee hour offering assorted homemade pastries as we cheerfully filled each cup of sourj. The room became filled with lively conversation. It was a wonderful way to begin the week—with religion and fellowship.
The point is every one in that picture was an attractive woman, well versed in the art of entertaining. We strove for perfection, putting a memorable imprint on everything we did. We remain glued to each other in loyal friendship forged in those happy times of younger days and love of community.
We’ve never forgotten that we had the survivor generation to thank for the origination of the Ladies’ Guild, and how they worked valiantly to benefit the church. As they grew older, they needed an infusion of youth to carry on their work. They corralled a sympathetic Ann Krikorian to join and she, in turn, persuaded her close friends to follow suit. We never regretted it. The smiles in the photo prove it.
The Ladies’ Guild served its churches in every Armenian community, and does so to this day, but it is with awe and reverence that we remember those who held the responsibility for decades before us. They are all gone now, but we give thanks for the memory of how they refused to allow the light of our ancient culture and heritage to be extinguished in the new world.
Betty Apigian-Kessel
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