Marash Girl grew up in the little church , the United Armenian Brethren Evangelical Church of Watertown, Massachusetts. Uncle Vartan, her Grandfather Moses' brother, founded that church and ministered to its congregation until the 1950's. His sermons were in Turkish, Armenian and English, the hymnals were in all three languages as well - E. E. Elmajian's Spiritual Hymns of Worship - Hokevor Yerker Bashdamunki - Ruhani Ibadet Ilahileri [in English, Armenian & Armeno-Turkish].
Early in the history of the church, however, there was a movement to "Pentecostalize" the church; the man leading the movement (whose name Marash Girl never learned) happened to be the treasurer of the church, and up and left the church, taking many of the worshipers and all the money in the treasury with him.
Upon learning of the event, Grandpa Moses said of the treasurer,
"He's nothing but a crook!" The former treasurer heard of the accusation, and came to the house on Lowell Avenue to face Grandpa Moses.
"You called me a crook behind my back," he announced to Grandpa Moses on a Sunday afternoon, surrounded by the visitors who weekly visited Grandpa Moses.
"Well, let me tell you to your face: (Yuzune deyim!)", said Grandpa Moses. "You're a liar!"
For years after that event, Marash Girl's dad would say, yüzüne deyim, when describing the straightforwardness of his father, and all of us would laugh, enjoying the reminder of Grandpa Moses' fearless honesty.
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