Born in Bardizag (Bahçecik) in the Ottoman Empire to Haroutune Koustigian and Serpouhi Gevregian. She emigrated from Scutari with her brother, a cousin, and aunt and arrived at Ellis Island on April 20, 1920. They proceeded to Makrouhi's uncle's house in Philadelphia and settled there. She married Haroutune Chavooshian and had four children, son Haig (1925-1930) who was killed by a car, and daughters Jean, Joan, and June. After World War II, a call went out to Armenians throughout the world to return to Armenia, part of the Soviet Union, which the Chavooshian family followed at Jean's encouragement. They left by a ship from New York in 1949 and made the long journey to settle in Armenia's capital Yerevan. However they found life to be very difficult in Armenia and as the Cold War began, they became trapped there. As the Cold War began to thaw in the early 1960s they applied for permission to exit and return to their relatives in Philadelphia, but the process was held up for years. Haroutune died and was buried in Yerevan in 1967 and permission to leave was finally granted the following year. Makrouhi died less than six months after finally returning to Philadelphia and she was buried with her son Haig. Soil from her husband Haroutune's grave in Armenia was also placed in the grave and his name is on the marker at West Laurel Hill.
Born in Bardizag (Bahçecik) in the Ottoman Empire to Haroutune Koustigian and Serpouhi Gevregian. She emigrated from Scutari with her brother, a cousin, and aunt and arrived at Ellis Island on April 20, 1920. They proceeded to Makrouhi's uncle's house in Philadelphia and settled there. She married Haroutune Chavooshian and had four children, son Haig (1925-1930) who was killed by a car, and daughters Jean, Joan, and June. After World War II, a call went out to Armenians throughout the world to return to Armenia, part of the Soviet Union, which the Chavooshian family followed at Jean's encouragement. They left by a ship from New York in 1949 and made the long journey to settle in Armenia's capital Yerevan. However they found life to be very difficult in Armenia and as the Cold War began, they became trapped there. As the Cold War began to thaw in the early 1960s they applied for permission to exit and return to their relatives in Philadelphia, but the process was held up for years. Haroutune died and was buried in Yerevan in 1967 and permission to leave was finally granted the following year. Makrouhi died less than six months after finally returning to Philadelphia and she was buried with her son Haig. Soil from her husband Haroutune's grave in Armenia was also placed in the grave and his name is on the marker at West Laurel Hill.
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See more Chavooshian or Koustigian memorials in:
- West Laurel Hill Cemetery Chavooshian or Koustigian
- Bala Cynwyd Chavooshian or Koustigian
- Montgomery County Chavooshian or Koustigian
- Pennsylvania Chavooshian or Koustigian
- USA Chavooshian or Koustigian
- Find a Grave Chavooshian or Koustigian
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