This is a 1979 interview with Delleh binto Jirji Nassif Attiyeh - aka Della Boutrous, of Bismarck, North Dakota. It is the story of Della and her father, Jirji 'George' Nassif Attiyeh and her mother, Takla (Skaff) Nassif. Della was referred to as 'The Queen of The Attiyehs,' which in my memory of being around her, filled the bill well.

Of major note is the story of her father, Jirji's American experience, specifically his early days in North Dakota trying to make a go of it as a farmer. Della was the eldest child of eight of Jirji & Takla.

My cousin Michael Joseph Boutrous transcribed this document in 2019. Michael is Della's youngest grandson and the son of my Aunt Dian Marcella (Erickson) and Floyd Nick Boutrous.

Michael writes:
The following was transcribed from a hand written 'xerox' copy of an interview conducted in 1979 with my Grandma Delleh by a family friend named Mary. The original was in bad condition, and I did the best I could transcribing it into an easy to read format. I feel it comes off well, and tells Delleh's unique story, something that the family and friend should all read with interest.

Della begins her interview:
My father, Jirji 'George' Nassif, made three Atlantic Ocean trips between 1903 and 1905 from Ain Arab, Lebanon, Syria, to the United States. He had made these three trips to America from Lebanon/Syria, as a private salesman selling oriental rugs and linens. His trips were to Sioux City, Iowa and Denhoff, North Dakota. He did not enjoy being a salesman, so he decided to try his luck as a farmer, as his father (Nassif Attiyeh) had been back in the old country.

Jirji was born in Ain Arab, Lebanon, Syria, as so many of the family were. My mother, Takla (Skaff) Nassif was also born in Ain Arab. Jirji & Takla (Skaff) Nassif Attiyeh had five children, including myself all born in Ain Arab. Once they were together in America in 1909, Takla and Jirji would extend their family, having four more children.

It was in the area near McClusky, North Dakota that Jirji 'George' Nassif attempted to get a homestead, but no homesteads were available. This did not deter him. Jirji went to a local attorney, by the name of W. L. Nuessle, who later became a judge, and eventually a North Dakota Supreme Court Judge.

Jirji demanded that he be given a homestead. He continued his quest on a regular basis, until at long last, Mr. Nuessle took pity on him and suggested that he had one lead, that he could give him. There was one man who abandoned his homestead (he was not living on the land and developing it). Mr. Nuessle suggested that Jirji go live on the land and improve it and see if he could prove up the claim before the previous man could.

Mr. Nuessle warned, “beware, the other man may give you trouble.” True! The other man took exception to the new tenant and took my father to Nuessle, but eventually the county court awarded the land to Jirji. Having left his wife Takla and five children back home in Ain Arab, Jirji thought of them often. He stared at their photographs, he repeated their names, Dalleh, Rashrash, Fadeh, Latifeh and Diab.

Jirji now had to manage his money very carefully. He brought lumber to build a small cabin, and also bought chickens, a cow and a couple of horses. He tilled the land and planted seed for flax. At this point, however, he was stuck in a bit of a crisis. Jirji could not read or write in English yet, nor did he really know how to farm. He went to his neighbor and asked for help. Fortunately, the neighbor had two sons, who assisted Jirji.

As time passed and things got better, Jirji took some of the money he had made, and bought a ticket to bring my mother, Takla, over from Ain Arab to Dakota. He told her to leave the children with relatives and come soon.

Prior to becoming a farmer in North Dakota, Jirji was a man of considerable property in Ain Arab. He owned a large, two story stone house, whose living room could be compared in size with the dinning room there at the Lutheran Home in Bismarck. The house was the size of the old post office in downtown Bismarck. He also owned chickens, cows, and other farm animals, but mostly, my father owned property. All this he was willing to forsake; all of it, to become a farmer in North Dakota. All that he had accumulated through his efforts as a salesman on his two previous trips to the US would help him.

However my mother Takla was not to be so easily persuaded. She was reluctant to leave her children and home, but then she had heard enough about America to know it was a good idea, and she began to think of the freedom of its skies. My mother felt that the time was not right for her, so she wrote to Jirji and suggested that I come stay with him while he proved up the homestead claim. Takla would stay and take care of the children. So that was to be. But first Jirji would come to Ain Arab and settle things and then he and I would travel to America.

The situation as it existed was that it took five years of living on the land, and working it to receive it absolutely free from the government! Otherwise, one must spend at least fourteen months living on it and pay $500 for the claim. Jirji was deeply troubled. He did not know what to do for he did not have much money left after he bought the objects necessary to establish his presence on the land and the ticket he assumed would be for Takla.

Jirji went back to Mr. Nuessle and asked for advice. Mr. Nuessle told him 'to send for his daughter, Della, and stay and prove the claim,' which he did. I was 11 years old at this time. So Jirji went back to Ain Arab to get his oldest daughter, me, and accompany him on the route from Ain Arab to North Dakota. This was the summer of 1905. Unfortunately that 1905 trip did not work out as planned.

Jirji and I traveled to America together aboard the S.S. New York, starting in Ain Arab, then going first to Beirut, then to Alexandria, Egypt, then to Marseilles and across France and eventually sailing from Cherbourg, France. We arrived at the Port of New York on July 2nd, 1905. Jirji was already an U.S. Citizen by this time, and in good health was cleared for Entry into the U.S. at Ellis Island. I, however, was not - I was deemed to have medical problems; an infection in my eye, Trachoma, and was sent to the hospital for treatment. After I was treated, it was deemed by the officials in charge that I shall be deported back to my homeland on July 5th, 1905. And that is what happened, I went back to Lebanon.

Two years later in 1907, I, now 13, along with my 1st cousin Assaf 'George' Nassif Attiyeh, who was 16 at the time, journeyed to America together, beginning from Ain Arab in a caravan to the port city of Beirut. From Beirut we traveled to Alexandria, Egypt, and from Alexandria, to Marseilles, France. We left Marseilles and traveled the the Straits of Gibraltar, passing Tangiers, Morocco before we ventured into the North Atlantic Ocean. I had made this trip before with my father in 1905, when I was 11 years old, so now I was accustomed to what was happening, and what could happen at the end of our ship's journey. Heading to Mexico seemed like the thing to do with my last experience at Ellis Island of being deported.

Michael tells a great story about Della's and Assaf's journey through Mexico and up to North Dakota.

"One tale along the trip that I can never forget; The young Uncle Assaf (on his ascent to Shaykhdom), Delleh's 16 year old cousin, was in charge of the loot for the trip. He began at one point divieing up coins betwixt him and Grandma Delleh, “one for you, and one for me,” type deal. I can still hear his voice in my mind, it was a joyful, uniquely old country, emotion filled voice - all the younger generations that knew him well, still imitate it to this day.

So, the coins had been dispersed, and Assaf came to the paper bills. There was an odd number of paper bills so Assaf, holding the purse strings, did a very diplomatic and cute thing for a 16 year old, he tore the dollar bill in half and gave one half to Grandma!”

Della continues:
Our ship pulled into the harbor at Tampico, Mexico and we walked on land for the first time in a week. From Tampico we traveled up thru Mexico by train, and horseback. We met many travelers on the way, many on the same journey to the U.S. It was all part of the days I was imagining what it would be like up north near the Canadian border in Dakota.

On July 13th, 1907 from the municipality of Zaragoza, in the state of Coahuila in north-eastern Mexico, Assaf and I crossed the border into the United States. We passed through customs in Eagle Pass, Texas and looked northward, toward where we would inevitably be heading.

I was traveling to reunite with my father, Jirji at the family homestead in Sheridan County, North Dakota, near Denhoff. I spoke no English and we made our way by train to the Great Northern Plains. I pinned a piece of paper to my jacket with the words 'Denhoff, North Dakota' written on it. We made it to the train station where we were met by my father and then went the homestead and Assaf would join his older brother, Karam Nassif, who also had a homestead near Denhoff.

In 1909, Jirji then sent for Takla and the remainder of his children. Takla attempted to sell their property in Ain Arab, but nobody had any money to purchase it. Takla’s father was Mukhtar, the Mayor of Ain Arab at the time, and gave all the help that was possible. Takla ended up selling what she could and then gave the keys of the home to her Uncle, and left the rest to him to sell.

The family traveled in similar fashion the way Assaf and I went by way of Mexico. In this group was mother Takla, my 2 sisters Fadeh (Annie) age 10, and Latifeh (Lillie) age 3 and my 2 brothers, Diab (Albert) age 5, and Rashrash (Oscar) age 8. From Eagle Pass, Texas, Takla and the children spent 10 days with her sister, who lived in Sioux City, Iowa. She also had a single brother there. Takla liked what she found there in Iowa. Her brother accompanied them on the train to Denhoff. Takla, who was met at the station by my father. At this point Takla was uncomfortable from what she found life to be in North Dakota. Takla was not happy.

On the Farm, which was near Denhoff and close to Goodrich, was not to her liking. Regardless, the family made it to Denhoff and the entire family was once again together! Dad loaded all of them on his wagon - you should have seen the roads, there were bumps, many of them. It was not comfortable and a bumpy ride and it was dark when we arrived. Dad knew the roads and he did see all of us safely home. There were no lights on the county roads.

There was an attic in the cabin and this was where most of us children slept. None of us had any education and no one could speak English. We were all very young and had yet to learn to read or write in English or in Arabic. It was only in the our spoken native language that we could function. Our father now had a number of chickens, pigs, and cows. Things seemed okay to us children, though Takla did not like North Dakota, nor the farm. Takla's brother also disapproved, but as time went by, he grew fond of the open spaces, the freedom and those marvelous fields of swaying flax. He thought of them like an inland sea.

Fall came, and it was time for school, but there were no schools near by. Father would have to get up at 5am to take us. “Jirji,” Takla exclaimed, “By Thanksgiving, I want the family to move to Sioux City." Jirji agreed after more talk, and we eventually did move there. In Sioux City, Jirji found enough odd jobs to keep the family going. One of our Aunts, Takla's sister lived in Sioux City and she owned a number of houses. Two other Aunts (Takla's sisters) also lived in the vicinity. One lived on a farm and the other in the city. The farm was 35 miles west from Sioux City, in New Castle, Nebraska.

While we lived in Sioux City we managed okay, though it was difficult. My parents rented part of the house that we lived in. Dad tired of the city and longed for the farm, so once again we moved to the country to be near Takla’s other sister. Something that was amazing to me, I discovered that corn can grow as high as the 10 feet tall. Amazing! My uncle and aunt knew more about farming than did Takla and Jirji.

After 5 or 6 years, my father endeavored to sell the farm back in North Dakota for cash. There was a man who tried to buy it outright, though ended up putting a down payment on the farm. He could not come up with the rest for quite awhile. This was just before the First World War.

My aunt and uncle grew weary of the farm life, after 5 or 6 years and wanted to leave, but Jirji wished to remain, so he rented their farm near Cedar Rapids. He eventually became a big farmer with lots of land, crops of corn. In 1912 or so, the year of the bumper crop, corn was 8¢ a bushel. This was upsetting to Dad, so he went to Chicago and bought himself twenty head of cattle. Then with the cows, he fattened up on his excess corn. It was a great deal of work. inside and outside.

When time passed, the cattle had become considerably fat, he sold them and with money he bought 2 car loads of cattle, then all of a sudden the price of meat went down. There was too much meat available. Daddy did not feel right, and he was very upset. He then bought six car loads of cattle. The price dropped out of meat market. Dad lost his car, his corn, his cattle and his money.

Around 1914, my brothers were 16 and 17, and I was 20. They went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and I stayed in Sioux City for I had been married for 4 years to Ghattas (Attas) Fares Boutrous. My parents had 3 more children. The boys could not go to high school. They worked wherever they could. The wages were $2 per day. They got along all right. My brothers became salesmen and they sold rugs from Persia just as Jirji had once done. They both married. Dad and mother could no longer work. Mother had a house in Cedar Rapids and they bought a grocery store next to the house. They kept the rug business above the grocery store. They continued to sell rugs but eventually sold the store and the time came when they had lots of money.

My brother Mike (Mkhail) became the richest, but never married. I regret the joy that he never experienced. Oscar (Rashrash) died at age 7 or 8 on the farm in Dakota. John (Hanna) spent money like it was going out of style. Albert (Diab) married and had 10 children - 6 girls and 4 boys. I did not like Sioux City and my folks had left, so in 1917 when I was pregnant with Floyd, my husband Attas and I moved to Bismarck. North Dakota.

The city belonged to my childhood. It was I who had joined my father in his great adventure there. It was I, who came uncomplaining to this land of opportunity; but I could not go back to the farm without him, so it was to Bismarck, the capital (the queen city… a touch of mother and father). It was there that Floyd was born on January 30th, 1917, Floyd joined his older brothers Tom and George. There had been been another child born in Sioux City in 1913, Jeryius (George 1). He died when he was several months old and is buried in Sioux City. I was married when I was 16 or 18 and I was born in 1894.

My grandparents on my mother's side stayed behind in the old country. They are the 'Skaff - Rizk' Family, and also Jirji's parents stayed in Lebanon, they are the 'Nassif Attiyeh - Rizk' Family. Nassif Attiyeh married Delleh Rizk (Jirji’s mother), and this is who I was named after. Both my grandmothers, from each side, were 1st cousins - same name and same blood - The Rizk Family. Takla's mother was Saddie Rizk Skaff. Jirji was the youngest of 10 children of the Nassif and Delleh (Rizk) Attiyeh family; 8 of which were boys, 2 of which were girls.

My oldest son, Tom died when he was 73 years old in 1972. He was a surgeon (Chief Surgeon of Detroit, Michigan’s Montgomery Hospital) for 36 years. Tom married a Catholic girl, and they have 2 sons, Jim and Ed. Jim became a doctor like his father, and Ed went into Real Estate where he became a wealthy man. Tom died while looking at maps of Ed’s territory (real estate). He had been ill for awhile, but had been reluctant to tell me. I had also been ill at the same time, and was hospitalized in Bismarck at the time Tom passed away. It was very difficult news to hear when my sons, Floyd and Ted came to me in the hospital to tell me.

My husband Attas Boutrous and I owned a dry goods store in Sioux City, and later in 1917, we operated a dry goods business in Bismarck, called the Fair Store. In 1929 we owned the Corner Grocery Store (3rd Street and Avenue A) down from the Governor's house in Bismarck. My mother Takla died before my father, perhaps 15-18 years ago (1962-5). They could not afford to hire someone to play checkers with Jirji, eventually Jirji taught Takla how to play. Takla always won - to Jirji’s great disappointment.

One evening, Jirji wanted to play, Takla did not feel good, but agreed to play him one game and won! That did not settle right on Jirji, so he wanted to play again. Takla won once more. He insisted they play one more time, but she said - “No Jirji , I do not feel well.” So they went to their bedroom, my mother began to undress and fell onto the bed. Takla had prayed to God that he would take her before she could become a burden to her family. He did…

Here below is a 1960 photograph taken in Bismarck of Jirji and Della, 'The Queen of the Attiyeh's.' 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 Erickson's and the Nelson's. A breath of fresh air swept in, and Dian gained a mother in-law by the name of Della.

At the time of this photograph, Jirji was visiting the Boutrous/Nassif family from his home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Jirji is the great grandfather to my five cousins, Michael Joseph, Nick Floyd, Allan 'Al' Frank, Steven Philip and Attas II Boutrous.

The second photograph below shows Dian, Floyd, Della along with Dian's mom, Clara Amelia (Nelson) Erickson.

The third photo is of Jirji & Takla Nassif and their children.