Meet Bob, an Amazing Volunteer for PCA!

Meet Bob, One of Our Volunteers!

"Some 20-25 years ago I began noticing during sporadic trips downtown an old cemetery, a lifelong "magnet" for me. At the time I was a professional in that business, successfully working for a large Metro-wide funeral and cemetery company. It wasn't long before I was telling myself, "When you retire you must get involved with that old cemetery!", 

knowing nothing about it nor who was buried, there. My journey toward retirement kept stretching out but my curiosity about the old cemetery intensified. When I found myself voluntarily working part-time, after leaving funeral & cemetery employment, it was time to find out what was going on, down there at 13th Ave. and Jefferson Street. 

 Strangely, I no longer recall my earliest exposure to PMMP and PCA, though I became "hooked" and was soon driving there most Thursday mornings. Being a "hobby historian" and loving my new (arrived in '93) Phoenix home, I became enthralled with the stories emanating from those graves and the living, breathing activities of such venerable PCA members as Marge West, Diane Sumrall and several others. Studying, learning, knowing all I could became my passion of those days. 

 It wasn't long before PCA members noticed my interest and attendance, which of course led to being recruited as for assigned PCA tasks and, soon, as a Board member. Elected Secretary, my responsibilities intensified. No easy task getting those Minutes written accurately though "the new guy on the block". Some "bumps in the road" (would "sunken graves" be a better cliche?) but overall, satisfaction and annual reelection for several years. Recent years, a sort of "PCA semi-retirement", find me on the Tuesday work crew with such venerable volunteers as Lamm, Foster, O'Neil and Jackson, an enjoyable crew of cemeterians. You know: trash control, rock aligning and other "janitorial " tasks.

 Giving a little money from time to time to the Grave Marker Preservation Committee" keeps me in good stead" with that truly professional PCA volunteer committee, too. Personal and family retirement activities keep me off that committee so a bit of "greenery" helps out.  

Maintaining the stories of and resting places of Phoenix and Arizona pioneers is a worthy and mighty important venture. I thank Pioneers' Cemetery Association for the ongoing opportunity to help."

Want to be a member?  Find out about membership and join us at this link!  PCA Membership

 

Pioneer and Military Memorial Park - History

PCA Newsletter Archives

As seen on the website of the Pioneers' Cemetery Association:  

"the Pioneer and Military memorial Park (PMMP) is located at 1317 West Jefferson in Phoenix.  The cemeteries at this location were not the first in Phoenix. During the 1870's, when Phoenix was still a small settlement, burials took place in the 'old' city cemetery which was located approximately between Fifth and Seventh Avenues and Jackson and Madison Streets, near the downtown train station. After Phoenix incorporated as a city on February 25, 1881, citizens and community leaders became concerned that train passengers' first glimpse of Phoenix was a cemetery "right at the door of our beautiful city and in the most irregular, dilapidated, and disgraceful condition...a disgrace to the town" [Daily Herald, 27 May 1884].

To remedy the problem, the fraternal orders of the city purchased Block 32, Neahr's Addition, keeping the east half to establish their own cemeteries and selling the west half to others for cemetery use. Families moved their loved ones from the old cemetery to the new one, and the City reburied the unclaimed bodies in a common grave.

The Pioneer & Military Memorial Park is comprised of seven historic cemeteries which were in use between 1884 and 1914.  they are City Loosley, Masons, K. of P., A.O.U.W., I.O.O.F, Porter, and Rosedale,  After a law forbidding further burials within city limits went into effect in 1914, the cemeteries were declared closed. They fell into disrepair until private citizens rallied decades later to restore them.

       
In May 1988, the seven historic cemeteries were officially designated as the Pioneer & Military Memorial Park with the dedication of the Avenue of Flags and the new fence. Over the years, visitors from all over the United States and several foreign countries have come to pay their respects to Phoenix's pioneers. Among the notables buried here are Darrell Duppa, King Woolsey and Jacob Waltz."

We are an amazing Place!  Come visit us soon!

Cemetery Open House: March 27th

 

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA 

//hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c18008

Save the date!  

Don't forget, we will be having a March 27th open house at the Pioneer Military and Memorial Park

 10am to 2pm

1317 W Jefferson

You can participate in a self-guided tour of the cemetery, and witness an Irish Wake!  

See you there!

Pioneer Military and Memorial Park Opening for Outside Tours!

PCA Archives

🍀Good morning everyone! Happy St Patrick's Day!🍀  

The Pioneer Military and Memorial Park is gently opening back up, but still under COVID-19 restrictions.  We have started our monthly open houses again, with outside, self-guided tours.  

In February, we had a "Looking for Love" open house with a scavenger hunt and swag bags, all hosted on the front porch of Smurthwaite, and within our lovely cemetery.  

We will be having another open house on:

👉March 27th, from 10am until 2pm👈

We will be celebrating Women's History Month, and having an Irish Wake!  

Come enjoy a self-guided tour, and learn about Arizona history!

1317 West Jefferson in Phoenix!

Photos by Jenn M-S