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Welcome to Pioneers' Cemetery Association

RESEARCH - PRESERVE - EDUCATE
About Phoenix & Territorial Arizona History

Fall Events at Pioneer & Military Memorial Parks

We hope you'll join us for our special fall events!

September 22, 10am-2pm – Smurthwaite House and the historic cemeteries will be open for guests to visit and tour the facilities. Come in when you’re not working and “keep meaning to” visit!
October 27, 6pm-8pm – Authors' Roundup - Join us for this SPECIAL Open House event under the stars which will feature local authors (including PCA’s own!), books for purchase and signing, costumed re-enactors, and special guest speakers. Light refreshments will be served.
November 10, 10am-2pm – Honoring Our Veterans - We look forward to honoring our military veterans on their special Veterans weekend! Personalized certificates will be created to honor you/your loved one and a special Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin will be issued to those who served November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975 regardless of duty location. RSVP BY VETERANS IS REQUIRED to ensure YOU are included in the event! This event is for open to the public – we only ask that you RSVP to pioneercem@yahoo.com to ensure sufficient materials and light refreshments are available. Tours and information about our military interments will be featured.

Dia de Los Muertos Doll Painting - Grave Marker Preservation

Our thanks to all who made our Dia de Los Muertos doll painting an amazingly fun day with friends! Your support will be utilized to provide training for our Grave Marker Preservation team to continue conservation efforts on our trickier deteriorating grave markers.

New Book - Pioneer & Military Memorial Park of Phoenix

Get YOUR COPY of the LATEST book by Pioneers' Cemetery Association story tellers! Books ARE NOW available for only $23.99 and may be purchased on any Thursday at Smurthwaite House 10 a.m - 2 p.m., contact us at pioneercem@yahoo.com to make local arrangements for shipment or pick-up, or purchase through our new online store! All proceeds of purchases made through PCA go toward our mission of historic preservation.

Per our publisher, Arcadia Publishing ad The History Press:
"Pioneer & Military Memorial Park exists to honor the legacies of early residents buried in seven historic cemeteries established in 1884 and closed in 1914. Henry Garfias, a popular and prominent lawman, once served the town as constable and marshal. Rose Gregory, one of Phoenix's most colorful forerunners, is remembered as a benevolent madam. Charles Posten was once regarded as the 'Father of Arizona.' And the tragic death of Letitia Rice led to a hasty trial and acquittal before being ruled accidental. The Pioneers' Cemetery Association delves into the past and brings to light the movers, shakers and regular folks who built this incredible desert city."

Way to Go, Eagle Scout Candidate & THANKS, Piestewa Peak DAR!

Our many thanks to our latest Eagle Scout candidate for creating this BEAUTIFUL Memorial Walkway in front of Porter Cemetery! Don't you just LOVE the bench alongside of it generously donated by Piestewa Peak Chapter, NSDAR! This makes a lovely, quiet spot under the trees to reflect and pay respects.

Stay tuned for details of how YOU can become a part of this lovely walkway! We're in the process of making pavers available for you to have a loved one or a group's name etched as a memorial tribute. You'll want to be a part of the opportunity to be a part of Phoenix history!

Loss of a Family Member - E. Diane Sumrall

Pioneers' Cemetery Association has lost a shining star.

E. Diane Sumrall, 75, passed away on July 13, 2018. Diane was born on October 13, 1942 to George and Imogene (nee Colley) Watt, in Watsonville, California. She spent her early teenage years in Bend, Oregon before moving to Phoenix in 1956. Diane graduated from West High in 1960 and Phoenix College School of Nursing in 1962.

It was at Phoenix College that she met Don and they were married on November 9, 1961. The marriage is in its 57th year. She worked as an RN for 35 years at Maricopa County Health Center until her retirement in 1997. After retirement she volunteered at Pioneer Cemetery Association doing research and grave restoration.

She and Don traveled to many states in their motor home doing genealogical research. She also traveled to Scotland to see her grandfather's house in Aberdeen. She was astonished at the good condition of the ancestral grave markers. She also made a trip to Ecuador visiting the tropics and to the Galapagos Islands.

The Phoenix summers were too hot so the family bought a beautiful cabin in Heber. It overlooked the forest and at breakfast one could see the White Mountains. She always had her camera and always enjoyed taking pictures of wildlife and flowers. A beautiful life that ended too soon.

Published in The Arizona Republic on July 22, 2018

Thank You for Attending Our Memorial Day Remembrance!

From PCA President Vivia Strang -

There were 100+ individuals who poured their hearts into making our 35th Memorial Day Observation one of the best ever! The South Side Division of Parks and Recreation (our partner) trimmed trees, raked up leaves and trash, watered grass and flowers, and made the grounds look fantastic! PCA volunteers also worked on the grounds, donated trees and planted flowers, cleaned and decorated the Smurthwaite House and set up a beautiful display of Victorian and Depression Glass inside. In the days before, on Memorial Day, and the clean up on Tuesday, volunteers set up and took down tables, pop-up tents, over 400 chairs, one very heavy metal bell, flags, banners, hundreds of flowers, accepted cases of water, mixed up lemonade, and set out cookies for our 350+ guests. Not to mention being at the Cemetery at 5:00 a.m. on Monday for Channel 12 News to shoot live-shots for the early news! The historic organization participants, our generous contributors, the speakers, the Media person, our Master of Ceremonies, the Tour Guides, the Cannon and Musket guys, plus a live trumpeter and a Bag Pipe player, and anyone who helped make this event even possible - just know that one person could not have done all this; it is each and every person contributing………it is SYNERGY, when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. THANK YOU ALL for believing in PCA and supporting our Mission!

City of Phoenix Impact Volunteer Award

Pioneers' Cemetery Association has been selected to receive the Volunteer Phoenix Impact Volunteer Award! Each year, City officials and staff members nominate volunteers who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to high-impact service.
CONGRATULATIONS to ALL members for being nominated and selected! THANK YOU, City of Phoenix, for the honor!

Grave Marker Preservation Team - Hard at Work!

With MANY thanks to our boots-on-the-ground Grave Marker Preservation team, over April 21-22, 11 grave markers and one cemetery plot fencing were repaired over the weekend! That brings this team's total to 21 completed SO FAR in 2018! This is ONLY possible with your ongoing financial support of our mission and activities. If you're interested in a FUTURE TRAINING session, please contact Cindy Lee at geckofamilee@cox.net with your interest so we can keep you posted on the next opportunity!

Ways to Support Preserving Phoenix History

There are MANY ways you can support Phoenix history and Pioneers' Cemetery Association!

Did you know.....PCA is a 501(c)(3)? Your tax donations are greatly appreciated! Receipts are certainly provided for your records. Donations can be mailed to:

Pioneers' Cemetery Association
P.O. Box 33192
Phoenix, AZ 85067

You can contribute while shopping on Amazon! We're a partner of the Amazon Smile program. Click on the link below to select Pioneers' Cemetery Association as your donor organization. When you #StartWithaSmile, Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Pioneers' Cemetery Association, Inc. Bookmark the link https://smile.amazon.com/ch/86-0462117 and support us every time you shop.
We're always on the look-out for grant funds we may qualify for. If you know of any, please contact us at pioneercem@yahoo.com!
We have a TON of GREAT IDEAS of ways to grow and expand awareness of our cemeteries and Phoenix history! We need YOU to volunteer YOUR time and talent! Contact us to review how YOU would like to become part of our team of volunteers!
One of our primary sources of income is simply membership dues - become a member today and stay informed!

Membership, 2019
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Listing of Burials

Back by popular demand! If you're looking for the names of all contained (that we're aware of!) within our cemeteries, you can find the entire alphabetic listing under the Services tab for your reference. We have many researchers who find it easier to begin with our lists before heading to Find A Grave or contacting us for details. You'll see notations embedded in lists of who we have additional information about. Feel free to contact us at pioneercem@yahoo.com to access story information. (remember - membership has its benefits!)

Open House Thursdays

Tour the cemeteries and visit historic Smurthwaite House EVERY Thursday, 10 AM-2 PM. Donations gratefully accepted. Smurthwaite House is located at 1317 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix, AZ.

Smurthwaite House Video

Many thanks to City of Phoenix's Nathalie Gage as well as Pioneers' Cemetery Association's own Judy Smith and Vivia Strang for their time and talents!