The Guest Book section of the site is where you can let us know what you think of the site and of anything Kytherian in general. Please Note: if you are trying to find relatives or information or would like to announce a Kytherian event, please don't put it here. It belongs on the message board .
Showing 181 - 200 from 347 entries
Nancy Calocerinos - Rochester, New York America
My gandfather Demetrios Kalokerinos came from Karvounathes. I was lucky to visit in September 2005. My grandfather brought his family to the United States sometime in the early 1930's. I believe he travelled back to Greece several times. Our family had a home in Karvounathes until sometime in the 1970's when one of my aunt's decided to sell it to a relative. Again, I was lucky to visit the house in 9/2005. I meet many relatives on my visit and would love to hear from any who have left the island and may be related. I visited Kythera with my father's two oldest sisters - Joanne and Olga. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
This is a wonderful website. I have intended on doing family research and this inspires me to do so. My grandfather, George Arthur Mazarakis and grandmother Alexandra Cassimatis Mazarakis immigrated to the United States in the 1920s. They settled in Hubbard, Ohio where my grandfather ran a confectionary. They had two children, Arthur George Mazarakis (1922-1990) and a daughter Pauline Mazarakis (ne1929) Arthur married Ethyl Rossvanes Mazarakis in 1949. They have two children George Arthur Mazarakis (ne 1950) living in Tucson, Arizona and Sandra Mazarakis Burris (ne 1953) living in Denver, Colorado. George and his wife, Mary, have two children, Michael Aruthur (ne 1979) living in Seattle, Washington and Alexandra Mazarakis (ne 1981) living in Tucson, Arizona. Sandra and her husband Neil Burris have two children, Stefan Gabriel (ne 1984) and Sophia Marie (ne 1990) both living in Denver. I have visited Kythera once in 1974 and hope to go back with my family in 2006. This is an incredible website. This makes it possible to organize a reunion-let's say by 2010! Thanks for all the effort. It is greatly appreciated. Sandy Mazarakis
Response to Kristina Enright's earlier entry:
"Any information where my father Nick Athousis is buried would be much appreciated."
I know of Elene Athousis that lives in Brisbane who went to the same school as me. If you would like any info to contact her, let me know, she might be related to you. If not she might be able to help you. thanks Theodore
Dear Comino relatives,
please see my message board entry of 20th May 2005. This is the best place for replies, because it provides for a discussion thread that everyone can read, and not repeat what others have already said. Robert
Once again I would like to congratulate the organizers of this marvelous site. Since I am Mavrommatis too, I was impressed by the richness of information provided a recent message by Robert Kass, regarding Mavrommatis and Cominos families. A brief reference though to the sources of such information would be very helpful for others who also seek their roots. Nevertheless I would like to thank Robert for this work.
Hi my name is Claire Murphy nee Caravousanos. My brother Tony Caravousanos introduced me to this web site. I am looking forward to visting Kythira in June 2005 to find my roots with my Greek/American family.
i am not of this heritage, but whilst looking for some history on walgett, i stumbled onto this site. the history of the cinema and those who ran it is very interesting. another interesting point is that i was born in walgett, and lived on a property just out of town. my mum also grew up on this property, and it is called "Kalamos." i always knew it was named after an island of or near greece, but that was all i knew. i also think that my dad had a relative who may have worked in the cinema, and he can clearly remember it from when he was young. this site is very interesting.
Bill Venieris - Montreal, Canada
Hi,
Interesting site. My father's family is from Messinia in the Peloponese. Our great grandparents came from Crete. I guess that they were descendants of the Venetian Venieri that were either originally fom Kythera or those based in Crete. Either way, we are all descendants of Marco Venier (ca. 1200's). This is part of what I can piece together so far: When Crete resisted Venice ca. 1360's, the Venier swore allegiance to the Byzantine Emperor, converted to Orthodox Christianity and thus began their history as Greeks. If anyone has any more information, I would greatly appreciate it. It really is a small world, isn't it?
Dear Robert, thank you so much for your interesting information regarding the Comino/Mavromatis connection, as a descendant of both families, I was fascinated by your research and would like to know where the information came from.There seems to be enough scope in your Comino family to suggest that at some point we could conceivably be related cheers Kiriaki
Those who contact this Guest Book section obviously have things in common. It is a great tool with many opportunities.
My mother was born in Gympie to parents born in Perlegianika, whose houses in Perlegianika were only three houses away from each other. My mother's father was Theodore Comino "Bahas", and her mother is Stamatina Comino "Roussos".
The paternal grandmother of Pappou Theodore was Kaliope Kominou "Psilos", sister to Minas, Grigoris, Vangelis, and Areti (who were all born in Perlegianika).
The parents of yiayia Stamatina were Panayiotis Kominos "Roussos" and Zafeiroula Kominou "Palavras".
The maternal grandparents of yiayia Stamatina were: Theodore Kominos "Palavras" and Vasiliki Kominou "Spetsotes".
My grandmother used to joke with Australian bureaucrats in Gympie when they told her she didn't understand the questions in the forms she would have to fill out. NB, most documents ask women for their maiden name. Hence the joke...
However, after explaining that she had filled it out correctly, they would still persist that she didn't obviously understand English well enough. Her reply was "not only was I Comino before I married a Comino, but My mother was also a Comino before she married a Comino, and so to was her mother."
My grandmother always thought this hilarious.
On another note:-
Perlegianika, Dourianika, and Halepa are very significant townships to Komninoi.
The main reason being for the reason why they were settled in the first place, back in the late 1400's.
They feared Turkish reprisals, and for that reason they refused to settle in Paliohora. A decision they were always proud of since the Turks eventually sacked Paliohora. The first of the Komninoi was Princess Angeliki Komninou of Trebizond, Pontos. She came to Kythira with 3 sons and a daughter Eleni, after 1463.
We all descend from one of the 3 sons. However, Eleni was married to a prominent member of Marko Venieri, and this marriage alliance was to secure military protection from any Turkish reprisal. However, the significance for us today is that this marriage contract maybe still in existence in Venice.
Princess Angeliki was taken in by the monks at Ayio Theodoros and bathed in a special underground domed well on the Monastry's property, which is located behind the residence of the monks, that overlooks the adjoining hills of Halepa, Perlegianika, and Dourianika. The monks advised the family to stay hidden and live apart from all the other Byzantine refugees and settlers in Paliohora (ie City of Ayios Dimitrios).
She was given the opportunity to flee from Greece and settle in other parts of Europe, as the rest of the family had chosen to do so. However, her response was "I and my Family will never abandon the soil of Greece, for one day we may be called upon to again serve our People."
In addition, I was told that she and her sisters fled from Bulgaria, where they lived in luxury with their brother (or father) Emperor David I Komninos "The Grand Komninos of Trebizond".
He was given Land grants and a pension after he surrended The Trebizond Empire to the Ottoman Sultan in August 1461.
However, he was accused of treason. He was executed in Constantinoupoli on the 1st November 1463, along with 3 sons. However, the Imperial Empress, the Princesses, and the remaining Princes were released. Most of them fled Greece at this point.
However, Princess Angeliki fled through northern Greece, with her sisters and an entourage. They settled in Reggina-Komnina, which is north of Athens, where the locals say a battle occurred and some of the Princesses are buried on an adjoining hillside called "Ta Vasilika". A service commemorates this battle, with an annual service on the 26th August, which takes place on the "Ta Vasilika" site.
From there Princess Angeliki made her way to Monemvasia, and urged the local Byzantines to follow her because the Turks would find them, which they didn't do until much later.
From there she fled to Ayio Theodoros.
The Byzantines of Monemvasia eventually fled the Turks and settled in Paliohora.
The loyal bodyguards to the 3 sons of Princes Angeliki were known as Mavromatis. Hence all Mavromatis families come from these 3 Imperial soldiers.
PS. My thoughts were that some professional needs to be financed to research the marriage certificates of her children in either Kythira, or in Venice, because in such documents they would be referred to as "the child of Princess Angeliki Komninou". Especially, Eleni's wedding certificate.
We wouldn't need any other official documents other than that. I imagine birth and death certificates and real estate documents would be more difficult to locate for various reasons. This investigation would take alot of time and money.
Any financiers?
I hope this is of interest to someone.
All the best.
Robert.
I am the daughter of one of the oringal Aroney's that came to Austraila at the turn of the 20th century. My grandfather went by the Australian name of Nicholas Aroney and my father was Peter Nicholas and my grandmother was Eleni Kamari who remained in Kythera. They lived at Harden and Mooree in NSW. My father then lived at Kings Cross and he was very well known in our NSW community. He died at Bondi in 1966 and that is when I left Sydney. I believe there might only been a couple of us living in Adelaide. I am looking for relatives that I believe to be living in the Gold Coast or Brisbane area that would be cousins to my father. Not sure which side of the family. If you have any information I can be contacted on my Australian mobile 0417 837 504 or my email.
Also my father's cousin went to America (Califoria) and started a milk run there at the turn of the 20th century. We lost contact back in the 1960's.
This is a great site. My father Minas (Michael) Peter Marendy was born in Atherton in 1945 to Greek parents who were from Fratsia. My Grandfather Peter Michael Marendy migrated to Australia in 1924. I believe my grandfather was the first of his family to come out to Australia and establish successful milkbars in both Atherton and Mareeba. The name 'Marendy' can still be seen adorning a set of shops in Atherton which he built in 1954. He and my grandmother Loula / Theadora Marendy (maiden name Mavromati) had four children: Mina (my father), John, Christie, and Chrissie.
This is the most amazing website for someone like me, whose Kytherian heritage would otherwise be almost inaccessible. My grandfather was Manuel Marsellos, born in Karvounathes 2 Feb 1890. He migrated to Australia in 1908 and married in 1914. Unfortunately he died when my mother was only 5 years old, and there was no contact with his family, so we know very little about his background. We believe his father was Peter and his mother was Sarah (she was apparently born in France). Does anyone know anything about the family?
I am the grandson of Charles Tzannes and Katherina Masselos of Fratsia. I visited Kythera in 1999. If anyone has any information in regards to my family or photos, please let me know. My grandparents moved to Australia in the 30's, and ended up in Moree. My father is Jim, my uncles and aunt are George, Steve, Theo, Mary and Peter.
What an incredible website!
I am deeply impressed with the amazing amount of work and time invested in creating it!
As a descendant of Kythiriotes (but born and raised in Argentina) I can't even begin to express my gratitude for allowing all of us, kids of the diaspora, to stay in touch with our roots.
