Caris, Con

 Con Caris Family History and Family Tree (as recalled by his daughter Chryssa Aroney)

The original name of the family is thought to be Petakas when they lived in Caristos in Euboea. The family migrated to Chesme about 1855, and took the name Caristinos in their new home.

John Caristinos and his first wife Chrisanthe had 6 children who survived.  The oldest child, Con Caris was born in Chesme in 1896, and migrated to Australia in 1913, aged 17, to avoid conscription into the Turkish Army. John and Chrisanthe’s six children in order of birth were Con, Marianthe, Eleftheria , Anthony, Kyriake and Margarety. Chrysanthe Caristinos died about 1915, in childbirth.  John Caristinos remarried Maria known as “Nene”.

Anthony Caristinos (second son of John and Chrisanthy) joined the Greek army and returned to Asia Minor on the army’s return in 1919. During the Greek army retreat in 1922, he returned to Chesme to warn his family (father John, Step-Mother “Nene” and his three sisters, Marianthe, Eleftheria and Kyriake) to escape from the imminent Turkish attack.  He arranged for a boat to take them to Chios, but his father John refused to leave his property.  The rest of the family went to Chios, where young Margarety was studying Greek.  John was tortured and killed in 1922 in Chesme.  Allegedly he had named his dog Kemal, which infuriated the Turks.

The children took the name Caris when they migrated to Australia. On arrival in  Australia in 1913, Con Caris initially worked in Melbourne, before travelling to Brisbane, because he knew of other migrants from Chesme who had come to Queensland.  He first worked with John Tonaki, who had a cafe in Tweed Heads, before moving to Brisbane.  He then began his lifelong occupation as a trader in fruit at the Turbot St, Brisbane Fruit Market.  He mainly dealt with fruit trade to Greek Country Cafes in Queensland and Northern New South Wales.  He married Eugenia Girdis, in Februrary 1923 in Brisbane, after she had escaped  with her mother and sisters, from the Katastrofi in 1922.

Con and Eugenia Caris had four children: Jack (killed in 1943 in a Tram accident); Chryssa (who married Nick Aroney in 1945: children Peter, Irene, Eugenia and Con); Nicholas (who married Peachy Eleftheriou in 1953: children Con, Homer, Yvonne); and Christe (who married Betty Londy in 1957: children John, Charles, Gena).

Con Caris died in 1960, and his wife Eugenia died in 1976.

Marianthe Caris married Con Miller who had two daughters from a previous marriage – Angela and Alice. Marianthe had three childen: Tony Miller (later to marry Mary Girdis: children Mary-Ann, Ourania, and Ellie); Jack Miller (later to marry Ourania: three sons Con, Paul, Glen) who died in 2008; Clare (later to marry Peter Notas: children Mary-Ann, Vicky, Christine).

Eleftheria married, and had no children and died in Chios during the Second World War.

Anthony Caris married Penelope Cocolas about 1930, and had two children: John (married Robyn, children: Anthony and Andrew) and Melpa (married Milton Stavrou; children: Anthony, John and Eftichia)

Kyriake Caris married Con Species, and had six children: Helen, John, Mary, Chrysanthe, Freda ,  George.

Margarety Caris married Erifili Tsouve from Chios, and had three children:  John, Matthew and Julia.

Standing: Evgenia, Con & Tony Caris (Groom), Angela Miller (Bridesmaid), Con Miller, Kyriake Species.

Front: Jack Caris, Despina Roumana, Nene Caris, Chryssa Caris, Penelope Caris(Bride), Helen Specis, Marianthe Miller, Jack Specis, Tony Miller

Caris Kids & Despina Roumana

Chris, Chryssa, Jack, Despina Roumana, Nick

Caris Clan:

Chryssa, Eugenia, Tony, Nick (front), Penelope, Despina Roumana, Elisaveth Girdis (in car)

Caris Family in Chesme in 1908:

Tony, Chryssa (mother), Marianthe, Eleftheria, John (father), Con.

Front: Margarety, Kyriake

Con Caris

Con & Eugenia Caris Wedding

Triple Wedding Ceremony – Mark & Ourania Ganis, Con Caris & Eugenia Girdis, Kyriakoula Roumana & George Girdis

Despina Roumana & Chryssa Caris

Nick & Chryssa Aroney

Family Tree

John Caristinos  – Chrisanthe

Six children:

1. Con  Caris (1895-1960) – Eugenia Girdis  (1897-1976)
   1. Jack Caris  (1923- 1943)
   2. Chryssa Caris – Nicholas Aroney
      1. i.      Peter Aroney  (1946-1969)
      2. ii.      Irene Aroney (1953-1964)
      3. iii.      Eugenia Aroney (1953-1953)
      4. iv.      Con Aroney – Patricia McInnes
         1. Chris-Anne
         2. Nicholas
         3. Elizabeth
         4. Stephanie
   3. Nicholas Caris – Peachy Eleftheriou
      1. i.      Con Caris – Christine Mylonas
         1. Nicholas
         2. Daniel
         3. Joanne
      2. ii.      Homer Caris
      3. iii.      Yvonne Caris – Cameron Tyrrell
         1. Xanthe
         2. Zeke
   4. Christe Caris (1931-2005) – Betty Londy
      1. i.      John Caris  – Helen Kolatsis
         1. Carly
         2. Christopher
         3. Anastasia
      2. ii.      Charles Caris – Chrissie Crethar
         1. Kelly-Marie
         2. Mary-Anne
      3. iii.      Gena Caris – George Conomos
         1. Daniel
         2. Andrew
         3. Christopher
         4. Greer

1. Marianthe Caris – Con Miller
   1. Tony Miller – Mary Girdis
      1. i.      Mary-Anne Miller – Frank Inglis
         1. Nicholas
         2. Anthony
      2. ii.      Lorraine (Ourania) Miller – Foti Angeli
         1. Ben
         2. Evelyn – James
         3. Dianna
      3. iii.      Ellie Miller – Peter Caligeros
         1. Vessy (Despina)
         2. Ian
         3. Tony
   2. Jack Miller (died 2008) – Ourania
      1. i.      Con
      2. ii.      Paul
      3. iii.      Glen
   3. Clare  – Peter Notas
      1. i.      Marianne
      2. ii.      Vicky
      3. iii.      Christine

1. Eleftheria Caris (died during WW2) – married
   1. No issue

1. Anthony Caris – Penelope Cocolas
   1. John Caris (died 1969) – Robyn
      1. i.      Anthony
         1. Timothy
         2. Brittany
         3. Jake
      2. ii.      Andrew
         1. Abbie
         2. Tyler
   2. Melpa Caris – Milton Stavrou
      1. i.      Anthony Stavrou –  Christine Manolopoulos
         1. Penelope
         2. Angelica
      2. ii.      John Stavrou – Stella Logothetis
         1. Irena
         2. Alexia
      3. iii.      Eftichia

1. Kyriake Caris – Con Species
   1. Helen Species  – John Kentos
      1. i.      Joanne – Phillip Argyris
         1. Elena
            1. Jonah
         2. Marianne
         3. Stephanie
      2. ii.      Vassilakis
   2. John Species  – Dulcie
      1. i.      Marina
      2. ii.      Katrina
   3. Mary Species – Harry Londy
      1. i.      Gloria
      2. ii.      Julia
      3. iii.      Emmanuel
   4. Chrysanthe Species – Les Conomos
      1. i.      Katina
      2. ii.      Jimmy
      3. iii.      Kitsa
   5. George Species – Venita
      1. i.      Kosta
      2. ii.      Yolanda
      3. iii.      Reece
   6. Freda Species – Michael Conomos
      1. i.      Angelo
      2. ii.      Evangelia
         1. Theodora

1. Margarety Caris – Erifili Tsouve
   1. John
   2. Matthew
   3. Julia