Another beauty of a photograph of my Uncle Floyd Nick Boutous's mother, Della (Delleh) Nassif Boutrous. Shown in her kitchen in 1957 in Bismarck, North Dakota, she smiles easily for the camera while she is baking Syrian bread for the family.

When my Aunt Dian Marcella Erickson married Floyd Nick Boutrous in 1961, she brought into the family an incredible group of folk. Energetic, smart, and quite different than the quiet, stoic Skandis of the Ericksons and the Nelsons. A breath of fresh air swept in and Dian gained a mother in-law by the name of Della. They all became quick friends over the years.

I know Della was quite happy to have the beautiful Dian in the family. My memories are clear of Mother Della, “Queen of the Attiyeh’s" as she was known, sitting at the head of the table of so many family Lebanese dinners I attended. Fun and good food was the measure of the day. I met many of the Boutrous, Nemer, Nicola and Nassif family members over the years. Exciting times for me especially when I was a kid.

Della's mother was Takla (Skaff) Nassif and was born like many of the family in Ain Arab, Lebanon-Syria. Takla later came to the states and joined Della and her father, (Takla’s husband) Jirji (George) Nassif Attiyeh a few years after they had immigrated west.

I was never fortunate to meet Della's husband Attas Fares Boutrous Sr., Floyd’s father, who passed in 1944. A photograph of Attas Sr. in 1935 is below. He was also born in Ain Arab in 1882. Ain Arab is a small village in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. It lies in the shadow of the Biblical Mount Hermon, and is the headwaters for the Jordan River.

Attas Sr.’s parents were Miriam Nicola Attiyeh and Fares Boutrous Abu Dakken; and were also both born and lived and passed in Ain Arab. Attas Sr. later dropped the 'Abu Dakken' from his name in the early part of 1900's.

Della was also born in Ain Arab in 1892. That was the same year as my grandfather Frank G. S. Erickson who was born in Sundsvalle, Sweden. This of course brings to mind yet again, that most if not all of us here are from Immigrant families and that should be celebrated not condemned or forgotten.

Della and Attas Sr. ran the Boutrous ‘Corner Grocery' Store that was established on January 1, 1929 until Attas passed in 1944, where upon their five sons took over. The store was family run till it closed in the early 1970s and was located at 500 North 3rd Street in Bismarck, North Dakota. I recall as a child visiting the store with my Uncle Floyd.

As I learn more about the Boutrous, Nassif, Nicola and Attiyeh families, I feel more confident in my writing on these grand families. So much of the history of these families can be traced back to the early 1700s and the descendants of Attiyeh John Mahfouz Attiyeh born in Syria in 1734.

In his help in educating me on the various family members, my cousin Michael Boutrous wrote:

In 1734 there was the first Attiyeh Attiyeh and Attiyeh Attiyeh begat Mahfouz Attiyeh who was born in 1755. Then a generation later Mahfouz begat Hanna Attiyeh who was born in 1780.

A generation later Hanna Attiyeh begat Attiyeh Hanna Mahfouz Attiyeh who was born in 1804. A generation later Attiyeh Hanna Mahfouz Attiyeh begat Nassif Attiyeh born in 1830.

A generation later Nassif Attiyeh begat Jirji (George) Nassif Attiyeh born in 1864. A generation later Jirji begat Dellie Nassif Attiyeh (Della - my grandma) born in 1892, and Della begat my dad, Floyd Nick Boutrous born in 1917. Floyd and my beautiful mother, Dian Marcella (Erickson) Boutrous born in 1940 has five sons Attas Jr. born in 1961, Al (Allan) born in 1962, Nick born in 1963, Steve born in 1966 and myself (Mike) and I was born in 1979. That's the Attiyeh and Nassif family history in a nutshell.

Ghattas Fares Boutrous begat my dad Floyd Nick Boutrous. Floyd Nick Boutrous born in 1917 (with of course the help of my beautiful mother, Dian Marcella (Erickson) Boutrous) born in 1940, Attas II. born in 1961, Al (Allan) born in 1962, Nick born in 1963, Steve born in 1966 and myself (Mike) and I was born in 1979.

And there you have it. As the intricacies go of how the families inter-mingle in relationship to the 20th and 21st Century Boutrous, Nassif, Nicola and Attiyeh families are remarkable.

Extraordinary to me and I am pleased with my education into the lives of four fascinating families that came from so far and accomplished so much. Their descendants, a vast 1000 plus I would assume of living members of the Attiyeh Family continue to flourish over countless cities across our planet.

Thanks to my cousin Michael Joseph Boutrous for the incredible education of his family. I have obviously come to realize it is also part of my family history. I am grateful Mike!

Boutrous Family Portrait 1940:

left to right - top row:
James (Jimmy), my uncle Floyd (husband of my aunt Dian Marcella Erickson), Thomas (Tom), George and Theodore (Ted) Boutrous

left to right - bottom row:
Sylvia (Trent), Lorna (Michaelson), Della (Nassif), Attas (Ghattas) Fares Sr. and Florence 'Flossy' (Nemer) Boutrous.