Photo: Veronica Engeian with Her Oud, 1921. Courtesy of Veronica (Engeian) Sarmanian.
Veronica (Enegian) Sarmanian was included in the Waltham Rediscovered project as part of the Armenian community. Her heart-breaking story of escaping genocide and coming to the US covers several pages in the Waltham Rediscovered book.
Veronica was born in Marash, Turkey in 1906. She married Stephen Sarmanian (born 1885) shortly after arriving in the US, and the couple lived in Revere and Dorchester before moving to Waltham in 1934. They had two children, Gregory (born 1922) and Arnold (born 1923).
In Waltham, Veronica bought and ran a variety store on the west end of Main St. She named it Veronica's Spa and owned it until 1956. A store called Veronica's Convenience still stands in that location as of 2023.
After selling her spa, Veronica opened Veronica's Yarn Shop, which included a knitting school. She ran that until 1970. Veronica passed away in 2009 and is buried with Stephen and Arnold at Mount Feake Cemetery.
Gregory earned a purple heart while fighting with the US Army in World War Two. He's buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Stephen also served with the US Army in World War Two.