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Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
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Mary Zourzoukis |
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Title: Mary Zourzoukis Oral History Creator: Mary Zourzoukis Interviewer: Adam Bittmann Subjects: LCSH: Zourzoukis, Mary Asheville (N.C.) -- History
Keywords: Three Brothers Restaurant; Greek Festival; Greek Orthodox Community; Greek Civil War
Description: Mary Zourzoukis is a member of the Greek Orthodox community in Asheville. She describes her transition from Greece in the wake of the Greek Civil war to Asheville in the late 1940’s. She also speaks about her community life in Asheville including some religious traditions and the Greek festival. Her husband built Three Brothers restaurant and she describes its history.
Publisher: D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville, NC, 28804
Date of Interview: February 19th, 2008
Format: 1 - 90 min cassette; 5 pg log
Coverage: From 1930s – current; Asheville, NC, Danville, VA, Greece
Interview location: Interviewee’s home in Asheville, NC
Biography: Mary Fallis Zourzoukis. She was born November 21, 1928 in Krafzian, Eurytania, Greece. Her husband is George Zourzoukis. Her children are John, Constantine and Dimetrios. Constantine and Dimetrios are twins and go by Dino and Jimmy, respectively. She graduated from George Washington High school in Danville, VA.
List of Names: [1/ 37:28] Zourzoukis, Andrea [1/ 37:28] Zourzoukis, Chris [1/ 17:25]; [1/ 23:40] Zourzoukis, Dino [1/ 17:25]; [1/ 25:25] Zourzoukis, Jimmy [1/ 37:28] Zourzoukis, John [1/ 1:26] Moore, AC or AD
List of Places: [1/0:54] Asheville [1/0:13] Danville [1/ 1:26] Cumberland Street [1/ 1:05] Market Street [1/ 19:00] Montford Bridge [1/ 17:25]; [1/ 18:00]; [1/ 19:00]; [1/ 20:20] Three Brothers Restaurant [1/ 23:40]; [1/ 23:40]; [1/ 31:40] The Greek Festival
Log
[1/0:13] Mary came from Greece to Danville VA, 1947. Her father had been living in America and decided to bring his family to the US when the Greek Civil War started.
[1/0:54] She had known her husband in Greece but they didn’t date until they met in Winston Salem in 1955. They were married that same year and moved to Asheville.
[1/ 1:05] There were about 35 Greek families in Asheville at the time. Met for church on second floor of a building on Market street. A priest from Spartanburg would come once a month.
[1/ 1:26] In 1953 the community bought a building on Cumberland Street from AC or AD Moore. They had Sunday school and social gatherings there but still had church on Market Street. In 1957 they decided to build a church. Her son was the first to be baptized in that church. All of the social functions were still held on at the house on Cumberland.
[1/ 2:26] In the early 1960’s the house was torn down and the community center was built because of how many new families moving from Greece to Asheville. They had Sunday school and Greek School. They also had the Ladies Philoptochos. AHEPA which was a men’s educational club and Daughters of Penelope was the ladies chapter. Have a Eurytania Club and Charlotte is the headquarters.
[1/ 3:50] She explains some of the orphanages and other groups the Greek philanthropic groups support.
[1/ 4: 10] They started remodeling the church last year and are still in the process.
[1/ 4: 50] She explains more about philanthropic society. Among other things, nationally the philanthropic societies send money for children in Greece to get medical treatment in US. Locally they raise money for church and other things.
[1/ 5: 25] There were 38 Greek families in the 1950’s. Now they have 180 families. They still try to get together and have dances and teach Greek Language and have Sunday schools.
[1/ 6:20] She talks about growing up in Greece. Her father owned a restaurant in US and moved back and forth from US to Greece, alternating years with his brother until 1939. Mary’s father’s brother sent a telegram in 1939 telling him that if he wants to move to America he should do it now. He left and she did not hear from him until 1943, except for maybe some telegrams through the Red Cross but he could hear nothing from them.
[1/ 8:10] During WWII the Germans bombed here home. In 1944 her mother went back to the village and got 2 cards from her father. They were addressed to everyone because he said he didn’t know who was living and who was dead but he wanted them to move to America permanently. She initially didn’t want to come.
[1/ 9:20] The Greek civil war caused her to move to the US. She explains that some of the difficulty with a civil war is that you must see brothers killing brothers and when you see an army you can’t tell what side they are on.
[1/ 10:00] Her mother had to ask the communists permission to leave her village. Her mother got it and told them she was never coming back. They then traveled to Athens and then to Danville, VA in 1947. She was 16.
[1/ 11:00] Her father owned a restaurant in Danville. He died when he was 96.
[1/ 11:15] She moved to Asheville because of her husband. He had lived in West Virginia and then moved to Asheville in 1951. They met at a wedding in Winston Salem.
[1/ 11:50] There were 35 or 38 Greek families in the 1950s and they were a very close community. She is happy in Asheville and only likes to visit Greece but would not like to live there because all of her family is in Asheville.
[1/ 12:50] She describes her transition to Danville from Greece. She was nearly finished with high school when she left Greece but was put in the 1st grade in Danville because she didn’t know English. That didn’t work and she and her sister got a tutor. After a summer school session they were both put in the 9th grade. Language was hard and missing her girlfriends in Greece was hard but she got along.
[1/ 14:40] She describes her family. She came with her mother and two sisters. Her younger sister had an easier time. Her mother had a more difficult time with learning English but she eventually figured out enough to get along.
[1/ 16:00] She explains more about the Greek Civil War and why she left. She says that at least the Germans were a foreign invader. The Civil War was brother versus brother. Leaving Greece was hard but she got used to it.
[1/ 17:25] John is her oldest son and works in Columbia at a computer company and is married with two children. Her grandson was accepted to Clemson. Her sons Dino and Jimmy are twins and went to UNCC and Appalachia State. Dino and Jimmy took over for the brothers at Three Brothers. She talks about her children and grandchildren and what colleges they have gone to or plan to go to.
[1/ 18:00] Her sons own Three Brothers Restaurant and lots of her family works at the restaurant.
[1/ 19:00] It is called Three Brothers because her husband and two of his brothers built it They originally built the restaurant where the Montford bridge is and called it the Express because of highway 240 but had to move when the bridge was built. It is the oldest restaurant in Asheville, since 1957.
[1/ 20:20] She describes the history of the Three Brothers Restaurant. The name came because they didn’t know to name it and three brothers owned it. It was popular and a fourth brother came but they kept the same name. It was a small restaurant with a drive in until it was remodeled and the drive in closed. She did the entire book keeping and paid the bills. Her husband did not like credit or owing people and paid bills immediately. It was open 24 hours at first but as they had less bills they were open for fewer hours. Maybe the restaurant opened in 1959, she’s not sure. Now it has regular hours and is closed on Sundays and occasional holidays so they can go to church and on vacation.
[1/ 23:40] The church is a big part of her family. She explains that many of her family members have been involved in the church community, including the Greek Festival. Husband was vice president and board of directors for 28 years. She was president of the Ladies Philoptochos 4 or 5 times and treasurer for long time. Both her sons are on the board. One son is treasurer. Dino has been on the board for years and has also been treasurer. You can be on the board for 4 years and must leave for 1 and then you can come back. There has been a Greek festival the last 24 or 25 years. Dino has been Greek festival chairman for 18 years.
[1/ 25:25] She says that the church is essential the same now as when she was young except a few differences. There is more English in the services because of mixed marriages. She believes her church never changes and everything stays the same. Even during the war her mother made her go to church because it was part of her life. As far back as she can remember the church was an important part of the community. Her children were altar boys since they were 6. Jimmy came back from college and the priest had no one to help him at the altar and Jimmy went up and helped. The church means a lot to her family and life. Even the older people who came in the 1920’s held some sort of service even though they didn’t have a church. Religion is the main thing in a Greek family.
[1/ 27:33] She describes her favorite memories about Easter. The church services were very serious during this time. During holy week she would go to church every night. They didn’t have flashlights, they had only candles. During the holy week they have church every night. On Holy Friday they have a tomb that they put in the body of Christ and decorate. Holy Friday she doesn’t cook or do anything, they are in church all day. Easter night they have midnight service and have a meal at church. They have a special soup called Mageiritsa. On Easter day many people would come and have a big party with an outdoor, spit barbequed lamb at her house. 50 or 60 people would visit at her house. Easter is a very important holiday and it is traditional for families to visit on holidays.
[1/ 30:28] Now that they are getting older and their children are married and moved away they don’t get together for regular Sunday meals as often as they used to. Her family would meet at different places on different holidays like Christmas, New Years, and Thanksgiving.
[1/ 31:00] She has a niece in Washington, niece in Winston Salem, nephew in Atlanta, and a son in Columbia and everyone comes to Asheville to visit for Thanksgiving and Easter. Not as many people come on Christmas.
[1/ 31:40] She describes the Greek Festival. Her son is the chairman. Last year was the 27th or 28th year. It started because the church needed money. The city council let them have the county plaza but not before September because of the Shindig on the Green. The festival was eventually moved to Martin Luther King Park when they started construction on the county plaza. There is Greek food, different booths, paintings from Greece, a Greek grocery store, a Greek band, and the children dress in Greek costumes and dance. They set up for 3 days in the last week of September because October is getting cold.
[1/ 33:42] The ladies cook all the Greek food. The make Spanakopita which is a Spinach pie, a Greek dish with macaroni and cheese with ground beef. There is also Lamb, Greek style Chicken, and Baklava. At the Greek Festival there is a pastry booth, a gyro booth, and altogether 7 to 8 tents all with Greek food.
[1/ 34:25] Martin Luther King Park is a little far compared to County Plaza. The plaza used to get Friday office crowds. They stay open till 9 and have dances and people dance even if they don’t know how. Children will dress up to dance.
[1/ 35:38] The Ladies Philoptochos gives a luncheon every American Palm Sunday because Greek Easter is not always matched with American calendar. Explains the Greek belief of Passover, Jesus crucifixion took place after Passover and no Easter can come before Passover. They also hold a Mother’s Day Luncheon.
[1/ 37:28] She describes early Baptisms and Marriage in Community Center. Her sister Andrea’s marriage to Chris was first in community center. Her twins Jimmy and Dino were baptized in community center first. Her son John was the first baptized in church. She feels the Zourzoukis’ history makes them work harder for church and community because of these events.
[1/ 38:50] She has a feeling of belonging in the church community. Her husband keeps an eye on the new renovations and her sons are on the committees working on it. She hopes to have the church finished in time for Easter. |