Maritza was a small child when her father was deported. Her mother died a few years before the deportation. When her father was driven away with the caravan of deportation, he gave his child to a Turk in order to save her life. The father went and never returned. The Turk adopted Maritza as his child. She had to do all kind of work in the house but she was well treated.

            In the same house was a young Armenian boy, kept as a servant. Maritza and him were the only Armenians in Severek. They worked together and suffered all kinds of outrages together from the other servants. Lately the boy asked Maritza in marriage but the Turk asked 10.000 Turkish piastres for her or ten years of service without payment. This being the price of the girl. Besides that both would have to become Muslims. When Maritza heard this she proposed to her fiance to flee in order to escape of being islamized. They fled together and we helped them to reach Syria.

Left our care: December 10, 1927. Relatives.