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Welcome to Pioneers' Cemetery Association

RESEARCH - PRESERVE - EDUCATE
About Phoenix & Territorial Arizona History

The Mission of the Pioneers' Cemetery Association, Inc. is to conserve and protect the historic physical remains, grave markers, artifacts, and buildings of Pioneer & Military Memorial Park and provide a safe, accessible community resource for present and future generations; to acknowledge, celebrate, and promote Arizona's Pioneer History, represented by those interred in Arizona historic cemeteries, through research, education, conservation, preservation, and community engagement.

The Pioneers' Cemetery Association, Inc. is a non-profit organization with IRS 501(c)(3) status.

Thank You, Arizona Humanities!

We are excited to announce that PCA received a grant from Arizona Humanities to create new tour brochures and programs focusing on the history of our women and children buried at P&MMP. We will also be able to make repairs to several of the grave markers pertaining to women and children. Why just this select group? This year is the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote and March is women's history month. Our researchers will be hard at work writing more biographies and creating new stories. Stand by for more news!

March 28 Open House - CANCELLED

By directive of the City of Phoenix, our historic cemeteries and Smurthwaite House are closed at this time.
We will not be open on Thursdays or Open House Saturdays until further notice.

We look forward to seeing everyone as soon as we're able. We're behind the scenes working on creative ways to share Phoenix's history with you remotely, through this website, email, and social media options. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and sign up for our occasional email news! If you have questions or suggestions of programs, projects, or topics of interest, please drop us a line at pioneercem@yahoo.com!

Thanks for Attending Our January Open House!

Donations and proceeds from this Valentine's Day card event supported our Grave Marker Preservation program. Thanks to all of our friends who attended and clearly had a GREAT day crafting, nibbling refreshments, and soaking in Phoenix history! Thanks to our volunteers for hosting the event and providing tours of our cemeteries on a scavenger hunt of Valentines related symbols on grave markers!

Thanks to Our GMPP Team & Conservator Joe Ferrannini!

Please enjoy and share our Grave Marker Preservation team's work with your friends! This activity is PCA's most expensive and time consuming project. We thank all of our generous donors and sponsors who make protecting and restoring our historic grave markers possible to ensure the story of those interred lives on for their families. This gives all of us a tangible and visible way to learn our history.

Stay tuned for future opportunities to learn how YOU can learn the hands-on processes you see here! Contact Chair Cindy Lee at geckofamilee@cox.net for details. Subscribe to our newsletters below to receive periodic emails about all of our activities as grave marker preservation is one of our many ways to preserve the stories of Phoenix history!

Our many thanks to Conservator Joe Ferrannini for sharing your knowledge and time to train our team how to continue these specialized techniques!

Thanks to ASU's Dr. Pamela Stewart & PCA's Patty Gualt for this interview about our cemeteries!

Check out this great video between 2 of our PCA volunteers! Dr. Stewart is a member of PCA and a professor at ASU who regularly brings students to our historic Phoenix cemeteries to learn to study grave stones, the symbols you'll find on them, and research stories about our interred. Patty is a board member and leader with our Grave Marker Preservation team! Pioneers' Cemetery Association and ASU through Dr. Stewart will be collaborating on AZ Humanities grant activities this year about the history of women and children buried in our historic cemeteries!

Enjoy some before & after shots of our team's work!

Inventory of Historic Arizona Cemeteries

Pioneers' Cemetery Association was proud to work with Arizona State Historic Preservation Office as part of the Arizona Statehood Centennial (2011-2012) to create an inventory of historic cemeteries around the state called the Arizona Memory Project. You can find access to this database here. A "historic cemetery" is one that is at least 50 years old and consists of one or more gravesites.

Thanks to Boy Scout Troop 475!

Thank you Boy Scout Troop 475 for your hard work cleaning up the older City Section of the cemeteries near the Jacob Waltz burial site!

Preserving Sotelo-Heard Cemetery

Our many thanks to reporter John D'Anna of the Arizona Republic for his time, research, and sensitive story featuring a forgotten "Mexican cemetery" in south Phoenix - Sotelo-Heard Cemetery. Enjoy the story in its entirety here. A list of those buried is included at the very end of the story if you're looking for the possibility of tracing your own heritage here. Thanks to John for his updated article of January 11, 2020 here. You may donate to support PCA's efforts protect Sotelo-Heard through our Gift Shop page.

Our thanks to Monica Garcia of 12News for her interview with Frank Barrios November 1! The video report can be found here.

Many thanks to Cronkite News and Brittany Watson for her interview with Frank Barrios November 21. The story can be found here.

Pioneers' Cemetery Association is available as a community resource to those seeking to preserve historic cemeteries, aid in research of family genealogy particularly for those connected with our early Arizona burials, and education about early Arizona history by sharing the stories of those who were here before us.

You can contact us at pioneercem@yahoo.com with questions or comments. You are encouraged to become a Friend of PCA by either becoming a member or subscribing to our news. Donations to continue our efforts to preserve history are gratefully accepted.

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 - CANCELLED

Our cemeteries and Smurthwaite House are currently CLOSED.

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!

Location & Hours

Smurthwaite House and the cemeteries of Pioneer & Military Memorial Park are open to the public every THURSDAY from 10 AM - 2 PM, on the fourth Saturday of the month September through May at scheduled times, and for special events as posted. The facilities are supervised by an all-volunteer team. Your cooperation to coordinate your activity at available times is greatly appreciated.

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

Smurthwaite House & P&MMP
1317 W. Jefferson St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
pioneercem@yahoo.com

THURSDAYS ONLY
10 AM-2 PM