Sosse, Sossi, or Sossoun Vartanian was a simple village girl who was married at the age of 13 to Seroup Vartanian who later became a very famous Fedayi known as Serop Aghpour or Serop Pasha.
During the 1890s, Sosse was left home as her husband went sojourning. The patriotic stories of her husband’s uncle left deep impression upon the young beauty.
In 1895, Serop returned home and began preaching: “Lads, stay without bread, but never without arms.” Sosse stood by her husband’s ideology.
In 1899, when the village was surrounded by the enemy, Serop fought furiously for eight hours until an enemy bullet ended his life. As Serop’s gun fell from his hand, Sosse grabbed the weapon of her husband and continued firing toward the enemy. However, the enemy was able to reach them. They severed Serop’s head and took Sosse as prisoner. Sosse was taken to Moush and then thrown in the Paghesh prison.
After being released from prison, Sosse went to the Caucuses where she witnessed husband’s dreams come true; Armenia was an independent republic.
After the communist invasion, Sose Mayrig went to Constantinople, and then she settled in Alexandria in Egypt, where she died in 1951.
On May 28, 1998, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Independence of Armenian, the Armenian people welcomed the remains of their immortal daughter, Sosse Mayrig, which were brought home from Egypt. With a solemn ceremony initiated by the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), her remains were interred in the Yerablur military cemetery in Yerevan.
The Sosse Chapter was established in 1967 in the Jbeil district.
The founding board included: Mangouni, Marie Khatcherian, Nvart Piranian, Manoushag Katcherian, Polin Mkhitarian, Marie Hampartsoumian, Shake Bezjian, Marie Avakian, Maire Panossian, Shake Yerzanian, and Josephine Hampartsoumian.
The chapter operates at the Armenian Center in Jbeil.
