George Hanna submitted this picture to the newsletter editors via email and Sherry Mickel Parrish asked the question, “How is John Joseph related to Phil Sadd?” We think secretly that Sherry was wondering if she was related too.
George replied, “John Joseph’s mother, Naime Saad married Sam Joseph. She had five brothers, Ayoub, George, Daniel, Julian and Edward Saad and one sister, Eva. Naime’s father, Toufic had a 1st cousin named George Sadd. George was the father of Jameel, Adeeb, and Charlotte Sadd Lechlak. They are 2nd cousins with Naime, and her siblings. Jameel’s kids (Phil, Tammy Sadd Scott, Randy and Greg Sadd) are 3rd cousins with Naime’s kids (John, Sandra and Diane Joseph Asmus). And that’s how Phil Sadd and John Joseph are related.”
And in true Kfeirian culture, these family members are related in more ways than one. When Naime came to America as a young adult, her uncle George Sadd adopted her so she could remain in the US. Through adoption, Naime became George’s daughter. Naime also became Jameel Sadd’s sibling, which makes Phil Sadd and John Joseph both 1st and 3rd cousins. Sam heard of a young single lady in Toledo after the adoption and he went to Toledo and married Naime. Many years later, still living in Huntington, John heard of a young single lady in Toledo, went there and married Krissy. He did the same thing as his dad!
George Hanna then added, “Jameel was married to Louise Hanna Sadd, niece to my dad Moussa, and that is how Louise and I are related. Adeeb Sadd married Carolyn Thabet Sadd and her brother Charlie Thabet is married to my first cousin, Layla Nassar Thabet. Layla is my mother’s niece. I think that’s the way it goes…”
Then Sherry jumped in added, “Carolyn Thabet Sadd and Charlie Thabet were siblings to Linda Thabet Mickel who was married to my uncle Mitchell Mickel, who is brother of my father, Alex Mickel and Mitchell is father to my first cousin Denise Mickel Russell…and so it goes”. And that Sherry is how you are related…and it goes on and on and on.
What a great family story showing how we are all connected! If you noticed the difference in the spelling of Saad and Sadd, Charlotte shared the history. She wrote, “The only reason for the difference in the spelling of the last name is that when Aube Saad, my grandfather, came to this country thru Ellis Island, his penmanship was not the best, and the 2nd “a” looked like a “d” so Saad then became Sadd.”
Pictured front row, left to right: Steve Pegram, Max Pegram, Laura Lechlak Pegram, Larry Lechlak, Charlotte Sadd Lechlak, Grace Sadd. Back row left to right: Michael Joseph, Nick Joseph, Tammy Sadd Scott, Marshall Scott, Chrissy Joseph, John Joseph, Phil Sadd, Samia Pegram, Stephanie Sadd, Randy Sadd, Carolyn Thabet Sadd and Luke Sadd. Taken at Myrtle Beach, SC at the 2013 Kfeirian Reunion
