Photos

Enjoy seeing some of our events!

Boots in the Dirt 2025 - GMP Thanks & Success!

Our thanks to Conservator Joe Ferrannini of Grave Stone Matters and our Grave Marker Preservation team members for their assistance in this month-long project!

This is possible thanks to your donations and participation in our events!

Accomplished this year by the numbers:

33 grave stones repaired
10 plot fences repaired
1 caved in grave filled in with dirt
30 volunteers providing nearly 1,100 hours of effort

We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events to enable us to continue to preserve and restore grave markers being impacted by Time.

Your donations are greatly appreciated and can be noted in particular for "Grave Marker Preservation" if you email us your wishes!

Pioneer Bio - John Alsap

Phoenix Mayor's Office
Official Historian
Steve Schumacher

Our thanks to Phoenix's Historian and PCA board member
Steve Schumacher for featuring a story about one of our interred and important Phoenicians, John Alsap!

Thanks for Attending Our Holiday Party!

Thank you to all who attended our Membership Appreciation event as we kicked off the holiday season! Enjoy a video collection from the day.

It's a great time to join or renew to support preservation of Phoenix history!

Thanks for Supporting Our GMPP Event!

We appreciate all who joined the fun of our Dia de Los Muertos Doll & Ceramic Pot craft day!

We're grateful for the use of the lovely Vernell Coleman Recreation Center of the City of Phoenix!

Raffle baskets, jewelry & candle sales, and refreshments added to the fun and festive day.

Thanks for supporting grave marker preservation!

We look forward to seeing you again next year!

Thank You, USDA Military Veteran Gravesite Cleanup Project!

USDA Military Veteran Gravesite Cleanup Project volunteered their time to clean military markers. This is a national volunteer effort by the USDA and their employees to show their support for veterans.

Thanks so much!

Thank you, Travis Manion Foundation!

Many thanks to members of the Travis Manion Foundation for assisting PCA with some grounds clean-up and installing an updated, readable marker for a fellow veteran!

You can learn more about this amazing organization on their website.

Memorial Day 2023 Remembrance

Thanks to all who joined us on our first return to a Memorial Day program since 2019!

Special thanks to Steve Schumacher, Mayor's Office Official Historian, for providing the program for the day.

Thanks to the groups who made the time to process and pay their respects to our fallen heroes.

Sincere thanks to James Witherspoon for playing TAPS to close our time together.

Many thanks to all of the volunteers who made this possible!

Spirits of the Old West Cemetery Tours

Many thanks to our re-enactors who helped us bring history to life for our community!

Re-enactors shared stories of those interred in the historic Phoenix cemeteries at this special event.

Thanks to all who attended!

Murder Mystery - Thank You for Attending!

We Appreciate Your Support!

Thanks to all who made our first-ever Murder Mystery such a fun event! We're hopeful to offer future mystery theater events as community interest prevails.

A special thank you to Val Wilson for her creativity to envision the entire project, write the multiple scripts including characters with clues to decipher, and more!

Thanks to the committee that made it all possible - Val Wilson, Patty Gault, Kim Kasper, Denise Foster, Donna Carr, and Lezlee Alexander.

Dia de Los Muertos - Thank You for Attending!

Thanks for Supporting Grave Marker Preservation!

Guests enjoyed redesigning dolls and clay pots into
Dia de Los Muertos appropriate styles!
It was fun to see the creativity at work.
There were even raffle baskets available!

Our thanks to Cindy Lee, Debe Branning, and their committee
for leading this project!
Guests also enjoyed a history lesson about the holiday.

We're looking forward to seeing you again next September!

Chinese Pioneers Remembered

On Saturday, November 5, the Chinese Circle in City/Loosley Cemetery was formally dedicated. The invitation-only event, sponsored by Chinese United and the Pioneers' Cemetery Association, was to commemorate the lives of the Chinese pioneers buried there.

Although Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego could not attend due to a scheduling conflict, Patrick Carlson, Policy Assistant, and Cassandra Mason-Motz, Special Assistant to the Mayor, were present on her behalf. Mr. Carlson read a proclamation acknowledging the contributions of these forgotten pioneers to the Phoenix we know today.

The historic Pioneer & Military Memorial Park is located at 1317 West Jefferson near the Arizona State Capitol complex. About 4,000 of Phoenix's earliest inhabitants were laid to rest there between 1884 and 1914, including notables such as Jacob Waltz, Tom Graham and King S. Woolsey.

In 2014, the Phoenix Chinese Welfare Council erected a granite monument honoring Phoenix's pioneer Chinese. Renovation of the Chinese Circle was completed in 2021 with the installation of cenotaph bricks bearing the names of 47 early Chinese settlers.

Frank Barrios Day - May 30, 2023

We congratulate long time member, mentor of PCA, and Phoenix historian Frank Barrios! May 30th was proclaimed Frank Barrios Day by Mayor Kate Gallego. Congratulations, Frank! The award is well deserved.

Shown here with Laura Pastor and Mayor Gallego for Frank Barrios Day.

Frank Barrios - April 1942 - September 2023

Vaya con Dios, Frank - You Will Be Missed

With a heavy heart we must tell of the passing of one of our
beloved members and mentors,
Frank Barrios.
We remember Frank as a historian and a generous man.
Many of us knew of his tireless work to preserve Arizona history and especially a little known cemetery in South Phoenix, Sotelo Heard.
But he also had a long work history with the Arizona Department of
Water Resources and the CAP.
He had a vast knowledge about water conservation and
worked to preserve what water we see today.

We're honored to have known you, Frank.
Thank you for your time, mentorship, experience, and leadership.

Rep. Stanton Reads Congressional Record Honoring Frank Barrios

Buffalo Soldier Plaque Dedication

A dedication of the Buffalo Solider Plaque at Porter Cemetery occurred on Memorial Day, presented by the Buffalo Soldiers of America, Arizona Chapter. Buffalo Soldier Clarence Proctor is buried in our cemeteries.

Memorial Day Remembrance 2020

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!

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!