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Saraf Obituaries

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Philip John Saraf

EpochLegacies.org

George Abdulkerim Saraf

Merchant Slain in West Broad Store
Savannah Morning News: Saturday, June 14, 1941 - Page Fourteen

Police Hunt for Slayers of Saraf
Savannah Evening Press - June 14, 1941

Savannah Morning News - June 17, 1941

Still Hunting for Slayer of Saraf

        City detectives and police are still hard at work in search of information which might lead to the arrest of the person or persons who murdered George A. Saraf in his West Broad street store Friday night.
        A number of arrests have been reported, but no definite information has been received which would warrant a formal charge being made. Some of those arrested were released after questioning, and others detained for further investigation.
        Detectives Chris Fountain and Harry Pitts have been assigned to the case.

NOTE: The murderers of George A. Saraf were never found and the Savannah Police Department will not release a copy of his file to family members who have been asking for over 60 years.


Savannah Morning News - June 15, 1941

Saraf's Funeral Is Today

       Funeral services for George A. Saraf, 45-year-old Armenian, who was shot to death Saturday night by unidentified men, will be held at 4 o'clock this afternoon at the Sacred Heart Church. Burial will be in Bonaventure Cemetery. The body will be at the residence, Fifty-third and Hopkins streets, until time of the funeral.
       Mr. Saraf is survived by his wife, Mrs. Mary Gannam Saraf of Savannah; three sons, Phillip, George and Antoine Saraf; four daughters, Phyllis, Antoinette, Mary Ann, and Rose Saraf, all of Savannah; four sisters Misses Rose, Mary and Frieda Saraf all of Syria; and Miss Rahelle Saraf of Abyssinia.
       Pallbearers will be J. A. Perry, Jr., Sam Gardner, Lehland Stanford, B. A. Joseph, Si Joseph, and Joseph Waldron. A native of Anteppa, Turkey, Mr. Saraf was born March 2, 1896.


Remembering her father's death, his oldest daughter Phyllis wrote:

        It has been 64 years since my father was killed in that terrible robbery on West Broad Street on Friday, June 13, 1941. My mother was only 31 years and pregnant and my daddy was 46 years. The next day would have been their 14th wedding anniversary. That was a nightmare that I shall never forget, but time has also erased many of my memories....

        On the night that he died, Mama had taken us to the drive in theater. About half way through the movie, Mike and Nazer Gannam drove into the theater and brought us the terrible news that daddy had died in the store from gunshot wounds to his neck in a robbery. Mike drove Mama to the store and Nazer took us home.

        That was a dreadful time in our lives and I remember going to sleep and wishing I would wake up and find it was all a bad dream. I can still remember the fragrance of the gardenias around his coffin that was in our living room for two days, and all the people who came to share in our grief.

        Mama lost the baby within the week. Bogie was only 11 months old and I was 12 years, and Mama had a terribly heavy burden facing her. But, she did it and I will always remember her with so much love, that she did not put us in an orphan home as family and friends tried to convince her was the only thing she could do.

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