GLADYS AVEDISIAN

Our mother, grandmother, aunt and sister-in-law, Gladys Avedisian, died on Friday, February 17, 2012, at the age of 97. Much younger than her age, she was always an inspiration to her family and friends. Her unconditional love, moral strength, intelligence and honesty created the center that made our family unit strong. Gladys was born to Joseph and Zaroohe Kandarian and lived on a farm in the Lone Star area of Fresno. When her father died in 1920 of the influenza epidemic, she lived for a time with her grandmother and grandfather, Maretza and Arakel Kandarian. She, therefore, attended Emerson and Lone Star Garmmar schools before graduating from Fowler High School in 1933. During the depression years Gladys and her mother would work in packing houses in the area, and of course, worked on the family farm along with her brothers and sister. In 1936 she married Ham Avedisian, the boy who lived a mile away. Over the years, she and Ham had three children; Louise, Stanley, and Tommy and in 1945 moved to their own family farm in Selma. Gladys was the homemaker, the mother and caregiver. Over the years she took care of all of us, even to the detriment sometimes of her own health. She was our rock. She and her family attended St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Fowler. She had been an active member and chairwoman of the St. Gregory Ladies Guild. Gladys loved holiday dinners with immediate and extended family around to sample her culinary prowess. She was preceded in death most recently by her husband, Ham; son, Stanley and wife Sandra; sister, Mary; brothers, Aram and Steve Kandarian and their wives Pat and Faye, and brother, Jack Dorian; sister-in-law, Helen Avedisian; brother-in-law, Jake Avedisian and his wife Fay; and nephew, David Simonian. Those surviving her and probable dinner attendees are her daughter, Louise Avedisian; son, Tommy Avedisian and his wife, Debra; granddaughters, Stephanie Messenlehner and husband Kelly, Sarah, Krystal and Carla; and great grandchild, Raymond. She is also survived by close extended family members; sister-in-law, Margie Dorian; nephews, Jack and Ron Dorian, Danny Kandarian and Sandra Avedisian. Visitation will be held at Wallin's Fowler Funeral Home on Thursday, February 23, 2012, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., with a Home Service at 7:00 p.m. A Funeral Service will be held at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Fowler on Friday, February 24, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church, 2295 S. Third St., P.O. Box 246, Fowler, Ca 93625, or a charity of your choice.