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Welcome to Pioneers' Cemetery Association

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!

PCA Logo - What's "Old" is New Again!

Many thanks to Founder Daniel Craig and the Pioneers' Cemetery Association for their collaboration to introduce our new logo restoring the original font!

Story time! The grave markers featured here? Picture an Arizona setting sun - camera at the ready - dusk and the perfect lens - a cluster of grave markers photographed together shooting INTO the setting light - these grave markers ARE a part of our cemeteries and our heritage!

Isn't Phoenix history great! Thank YOU for being a part of it!

Recent Events at Smurthwaite House & Our Cemeteries

Enjoy a selection of activities at our cemeteries from March and April!

Major Winfield Scott Chapter, NSDAR - Many thanks for your generous donation of TREES to line and shade our historic cemeteries! Thanks to the City of Phoenix for the planting assistance!
Qingming Festival or Tomb-sweeping Day - Members of our Chinese community welcomed PCA volunteers to witness this annual ceremony. Cleaning the tomb and paying respect to the dead with offerings are the two important parts of remembering the past relatives. Food and wine are taken to sacrifice to them, along with paper resembling money. This is all burned in the hope that the deceased are not lacking food and money.
Piestewa Peak & Maricopa Chapters, NSDAR Work Day - HUGE thanks to these two DAR chapters for making the time Saturday, April 7, to help spruce up our cemeteries as we look forward to our annual Memorial Day ceremony! We LOVE the fresh posies that were added!

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 Application
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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!