Copyright Vikki Vrettos Fraioli

Efrosini (Venardou) Chlentzou was born in 1830 and died in 1935 at the age of 105.  Her parents were Manoli Venardos and Maria Koroneos. Efrosini married Haralambos Panagiotis Chlentzos. They had four children; Kirani (b. 1872); Panayioti (b.1870); Diamantis (b. 1874); and Maria (b. 1881, d. 1968). Kirani married Giorgos Katsules and remained in Kythera. The other three siblings immigrated to the USA in the early 1900’s. Maria immigrated to Alexandria, Egypt. She married Ioannis (John) Alfieris (b. 1884, d. 1966). He immigrated to the USA in 1906, and she followed approximately one year later. There are 110 descendants of Maria and John residing in the USA today, mostly in California. In addition, there are many descendants of Panayiotis and Diamantis residing in the USA today.

The photograph was taken by her grand nephew photographer Emmanuel Sofios, son of Dimitrios Sofios and Arete Katsoulis. Arete was the daughter of Kirani Chlentzos Katsoulis. Manoli sent the photograph to Diamantis Chlentzos, (son of Kirani's sister Marigo Chlentzos Alfieris).

Dear Uncle Diamanti,

I am sending you this photo and I am sure that it will bring you happiness and joy, because in this photo is my Makaritisa (deceased) great-grandmother Haralambina-- your mother and the grandmother of your children.  I photographed yiayia a few months before her death, and I published the photo in the newspaper as a rare phenomenon for her age that she reached 100 years and she had all her faculties-- she only lost her vision.  Your nephew, Manolis.

We have not been able to verify her age as being 100 or over as we have not been able to find her birth certificate.

See also:

Kythera Connections