Vera Gajarian was inducted into the Clovis Chamber Hall of Fame in 1998 due to her many years of loving service to Clovis despite her early years of hardship.
Vera was born in 1910 in Turkey in an Armenian community. They lived a poor rural life but had all the necessities until 1915 when WW1 broke out .In 1915 her family along with her community were rounded up and marched over 100 miles to a refuge camp. Along that march Vera lost her father, 3 brothers, and 1 sister. In the camp her mother died and Vera was placed in an orphanage in Syria. At 10 years of age her uncle and aunt were able to sponsored her to come to Clovis where they had a home.
Arriving in Clovis Vera lived with her grandmother who lived near the Clovis First Baptist Church. Vera became very involved in the church's many activities. Church life has been very important to her for all of her life, holding special charity and prayer groups in her home weekly.
After attending Jefferson elementary and Clovis High School where she graduated in 1929, she married Sarcas Gajarian in 1933. They had 1 son, Stanley, and the small family lived on 40 acres where they grew Thompson seedless grapes.
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