Enjoy seeing some of our events!

Memorial Day 2021

Our many thanks to our volunteers who took the time to honor our heroes who have gone before us by decorating their graves. Thanks to all who stopped by our historic cemeteries to pay their respects. 

Pioneers' Cemetery Association offers our condolences to the family of Julian Reveles who died on May 2. Julian was for many years the Master of Ceremonies for our annual Memorial Day Event. A writer, public speaker and advocate, he was a strong supporter of Arizona history and culture. He will be missed.

Thank You, Maricopa & Piestewa Peak DAR! 

From Piestewa Peak DAR - 

For the 4th year, members of Piestewa Peak and Maricopa Chapters of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) cleaned grave sites at the historic Pioneer and Military Memorial Park as well as the grounds of the Smurthwaite House near downtown Phoenix. This annual collaborative service project between DAR chapters took place on Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 13th Avenue and West Jefferson Street in Phoenix and resulted in over 25 bags of trash and yard waste. 
 
Maricopa Chapter is the oldest DAR chapter in Arizona, established in 1901. One of the residents of the Smurthwaite house, built in 1897, was Mrs. Carolann Smurthwaite who joined the Maricopa DAR Chapter in 1921.
 
Piestewa Peak Chapter is the newest of Arizona’s 41 active DAR chapters and was chartered on October 8, 2016. The chapter is named after Piestewa Peak, the second highest point in the Phoenix Mountains. The Peak was named for Specialist Lori Ann Piestewa, a U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps Soldier and member of the Hopi Tribe in northeastern Arizona, who was killed in Iraq on March 23, 2003.

Grave Marker Preservation Brooch Event - Thank You!

A huge THANK YOU to our friends who attended our April Mother's Day Brooch event! Thanks to your support while having fun, over $400 was raised to support our grave marker preservation efforts! Preserving Phoenix history and the legacy of these historic grounds would not be possible without you. 

Stay tuned for our next event!

Thanks for Coming to Our April Open House!

Thanks to all who attended our "Bee-utiful Flowers" themed April Open House! Attendees went on a scavenger hunt for flowers etched on grave markers and received seed packets to plant at home as a memento. Our Gift Shop was open and folks went on self-guided tours of the historic cemeteries.

Join us on Memorial Day to pay respects to our interred/loved ones on self-guided tours. 

Our next Open House events will be in the fall when it cools down again. PCA will remain open on Thursdays over the summer as needed. We're always available by email to answer questions and assist your research projects. Contact us at pioneercem@yahoo.com any time!

​Thanks for Attending Our March Open House!

Many thanks to those who stopped by our March Open House to enjoy the amazing opportunity to be outside in our historic cemeteries! Our volunteers shared stories and information about the Funeral and Wake traditions of Ireland. Visitors enjoyed self-guided tours of the 7 historic cemeteries while learning history of Phoenix and those interred. This was provided in conjunction with the City of Phoenix Parks & Rec, and thanks to assistance from a grant from the Arizona Humanities.

We look forward to sharing news soon about Memorial Day plans at our cemeteries. They are likely to be more low-key than our usual event, yet an opportunity to pay respects to those who have gone before us, visit deceased family members, and tour the cemeteries. Stay tuned for details!

October 2020 - Grave Marker Training & DAR Day of Service

It was great to take advantage of the gorgeous Arizona weather to be outside! 

• Grave Marker Preservation repaired 5 grave markers and restored one to its proper location
• 9 DAR volunteers with GMPP volunteers cleaned 56 grave markers as part of a DAR Day of Service event

Way to go, team! We appreciate your service!

Dia de Los Muertos 2020

Thanks to all who joined the fun in October for our annual Dia de Los Muertos doll painting to support our Grave Marker Preservation efforts!

As with all that is 2020, the event was a bit different than usual - attendance needed to be less to maintain current health standards, dolls AND flower pots were available for painting, and masks were on more than the dolls! 

With all of that, much fun was had in simply being together and getting creative, all while learning about the history of the holiday. Thanks to grant support from Arizona Humanities for making it possible! Special thanks to Azteca Bakeries for donating your support in refreshments!

Grave Marker Preservation February 2021

Our Grave Marker Preservation team was busy February 13-15 in our historic cemeteries. They were able to spray consolidation on several sandstone markers to strengthen them, and lime-washed the Alsap vault which will help preserve the stucco and fill-in cracks where water seeps in.  

Excellent teamwork! Contact Chair Cindy Lee at geckofamilee@cox.net to get involved in future grave marker preservation opportunities!

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!

Memorial Day - Remembering Our Heroes

While we are unable to be together in person this year, volunteer and Board member Patty Gault has created an amazing video to celebrate the 36 years we've come together to remember our heritage and remember our heroes. Our thoughts and prayers are with your families in this challenging time, especially with those who have gone before us and their loved ones. Our gratitude to all Gold Star families - those with a military family member who gave the ultimate sacrifice. 

Click to watch our Memorial Day Remembrance 2020 tribute. Have your kleenex ready and be prepared to stand and salute - it's that good. Here's to coming together next year!

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Historic Cemetery Walks

Volunteers of Pioneers' Cemetery Association will occasionally host events in which they will recreate accounts of the lives of those buried in our historic cemeteries. Thanks to Debe Branning for producing and allowing us to share this video!

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