The R.I.P. Report September 2018

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1 P a g e 1 T h e R. I. P. R e p o r t S e p t e m b e r The R.I.P. Report September 2018 P i o n e e r s C e m e t e r y A s s o c i a t i o n Smurthwaite House: 1317 W Jefferson St. Phoenix, Arizona PCA Mailing Address: P. O. Box Phoenix, Arizona 85067

P a g e 2 September 2018 Just a note to say hello and tell you about PCA s summer of 2018. The monsoon storms this year created flooding in the P&MMP cemeteries where it had not flooded in years.

A cracked water main pipe flooded some of the south side cemeteries and the excess water sunk a few graves.

2 P a g e 2 September 2018 Just a note to say hello and tell you about PCA s summer of The monsoon storms this year created flooding in the P&MMP cemeteries where it had not flooded in years. Our neighbor to the East cleaned and fixed their parking lot drains and has a contingency plan in place for the excess water. Only time and more rain will tell if it works. A cracked water main pipe flooded some of the south side cemeteries and the excess water sunk a few graves. PCA is working with the City of Phoenix to respectfully remedy this issue, plus the extra rain and water has encouraged the weeds to flourish and create an unwanted jungle among the grave markers. More work for the City and PCA volunteers. On a happier note the Pioneer & Military Memorial Park of Phoenix book has arrived from History Press and is now available at the Smurthwaite House or through our brand new online Gift Shop at If you subscribe to True West magazine be sure and look for our book advertisement in their November issue. Remember, when you buy from us, the proceeds go to support ongoing projects for protection, preservation, and memory of the Pioneers. Unless the Past lives in the Present it has no Future.Please consider joining the PCA with your membership, a donation, or as a volunteer. Help us give the Pioneer &Military Memorial Park a Future by being a part of its Present. Vivia Strang, President Pioneers Cemetery Association P i o n e e r s C e m e t e r y A s s o c i a t i o n h a s L o s t a S h i n i n g S t a r! E. Diane Sumrall, 75, passed away on July 13, Diane was born on October 13, 1942 to George and Imogene (nee Colley) Watt, in Watsonville, California. She spent her early teenage years in Bend, Oregon before moving to Phoenix in Diane graduated from West High in 1960 and Phoenix College School of Nursing in It was at Phoenix College that she met Don and they were married on November 9, The marriage is in its 57th year. She worked as an RN for 35 years at Maricopa County Health Center until her retirement in After retirement she volunteered at Pioneer Cemetery Association doing research and grave restoration. She and Don traveled to many states in their motor home doing genealogical research. She also traveled to Scotland to see her grandfather's house in Aberdeen. She was astonished at the good condition of the ancestral grave markers. She also made a trip to Ecuador visiting the tropics and to the Galapagos Islands. The Phoenix summers were too hot so the family bought a beautiful cabin in Heber. It overlooked the forest and at breakfast one could see the White Mountains. She always had her camera and always enjoyed taking pictures of wildlife and flowers. A beautiful life that ended too soon. Published in The Arizona Republic on July 22, 2018

P a g e 3 September 2018 Get YOUR COPY of the LATEST book by Pioneers' Cemetery Association story tellers! Books ARE NOW available for only $23.

com to make local arrangements for shipment or pick -up, or purchase through our new online store! All proceeds of purchases made through PCA go toward our mission of historic preservation.

and closed in 1914. Henry Garfias, a popular and prominent lawman, once served the town as constable and marshal.

3 P a g e 3 September 2018 Get YOUR COPY of the LATEST book by Pioneers' Cemetery Association story tellers! Books ARE NOW available for only $23.99 and may be purchased on any Thursday at Smurthwaite House 10 a.m - 2 p.m., contact us at pioneercem@yahoo.com to make local arrangements for shipment or pick -up, or purchase through our new online store! All proceeds of purchases made through PCA go toward our mission of historic preservation. Per our publisher, Arcadia Publishing ad The History Press: "Pioneer & Military Memorial Park exists to honor the legacies of early residents buried in seven historic cemeteries established in 1884 and closed in Henry Garfias, a popular and prominent lawman, once served the town as constable and marshal. Rose Gregory, one of Phoenix's most colorful forerunners, is remembered as a benevolent madam. Charles Poston was once regarded as the 'Father of Arizona.' And the tragic death of Letitia Rice led to a hasty trial and acquittal before being ruled accidental. The Pioneers' Cemetery Association delves into the past and brings to light the movers, shakers and regular folks who built this incredible desert city." F a l l O p e n H o u s e s - L e z l e e A l e x a n d e r We re excited to share news about our special Fall Saturday open house events! October 27, 6pm-8pm Author s Roundup - Join us for this SPECIAL Open House event under the stars which will feature local authors (including PCA s own!), books for purchase and signing, costumed re-enactors, and special guest speakers. Light refreshments will be served. November 10, 10am-2pm Honoring Our Veterans - We look forward to honoring our military veterans on their special Veterans weekend! We re eager to recognize those who have served. Personalized certificates will be created to honor you/your loved one and a special Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin will be issued to those who served November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975 regardless of duty location. RSVP BY VETERANS IS REQUIRED to ensure YOU are included in the event! This event is for members and non-members we only ask that you RSVP to pioneercem@yahoo.com to ensure sufficient materials and light refreshments are available. Tours and information about our military interments will be available. December 8, 10am-2pm Member Appreciation Holiday Party We re looking forward to some holiday cheer as Smurthwaite House sparkles for the holidays. See how the house may have looked as its early owners celebrated the holiday season. We look forward to members (Friends of PCA!) joining this potluck lunch opportunity to count our blessings and lift a cup of cheer to the new year.

4 P a g e 4 September 2018 Did you know.. P C A G i f t S h o p! Pioneers Cemetery Association has a Gift Shop! We offer a selection of books from local authors including our own Frank Barrios who has authored Mexicans in Phoenix, Dogged Pursuit by Jeffrey R. Richardson about Enrique Garfias (first sheriff of Phoenix!), and, of course, Pioneers Cemetery Association s book Pioneer & Military Memorial Park of Phoenix. We also have lovely clear vinyl tote bags featuring our restored logo, which are perfect for holding your latest research or for use in any potential security clearance situation. Proudly wear your support by wearing your own logo t-shirt with the attention getting I ve Got Your Back design on the back. These items are available any time Smurthwaite House is open OR you can stop by our online gift shop on our website to purchase selected items. Simply head to to begin filling your cart. Credit cards are accepted and orders will be mailed to you. Thank you for your support in preserving Phoenix history. Hello, friends! M e m b e r s h i p B e n e f i t s! Thanks to all who made the time to attend our Ice Cream Social the beginning of August! This is one of TWO membership appreciation events Pioneers Cemetery Association hosts. Approximately 30 attended to enjoy FREE Sice acream v e with ta hvariety e of Dtoppings a t e to! choose Pfrom! C A Many Fthanks i e to l Marshall d T rshore, i p our Hip AHistorian, p r i l for hosting 1 s t Bingo LOTS of prize opportunities! A special thanks to the Negris, Lamms, Fosters, and more for making the event possible! Our New Member and Renewal drives initiated last fall were so successful, we re going to try them again - and add a twist! New Members joining this fall will enjoy the rest of 2018 free as a member Members renewing before December 31 will be entered into a $25.00 prize drawing Members referring a new membership will be entered into a $25.00 prize drawing! You can ALSO be included in this if you opt to level up your membership take an individual membership to a family level or family to organization status! We APPRECIATE you being a Friend of PCA SAVE THE DATE Our next membership appreciation event will be our Holiday Party. Saturday, December 8. Stay tuned for details!

P a g e 5 September 2018 A T r i b u t e t o t h e P a s s e n g e r s a n d C r e w o f F l i g h t 9 3 V i v i a S t r a n g Most of you reading this story can remember exactly where you were and

5 P a g e 5 September 2018 A T r i b u t e t o t h e P a s s e n g e r s a n d C r e w o f F l i g h t 9 3 V i v i a S t r a n g Most of you reading this story can remember exactly where you were and what you were doing the morning of September 11, 2001 when you heard about the airliners crashing into the Twin Towers but there is more to learn about the day America was attacked. In August 2018, I visited this beautiful, unique, haunting cemetery and will never forget it. September 11, 2001, morning: Four commercial airliners are hijacked by al Qaeda terrorists in a planned attack against the United States. Two are flown into the World Trade Center s twin towers in New York City. A third is flown into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth plane, United Flight 93, a Boeing 757 bound from Newark, New Jersey, for San Francisco, California, is delayed 25 minutes before takeoff. Artist rendition of the Tower of Voices by biolinia and Paul Murdoch Architects Credit: National Park Service After 46 minutes flying, when over eastern Ohio, hijackers in first class attack at 9:28 am, incapacitating the captain and first officer. Hijackers turn Flight 93 southeast, headed for Washington, DC, most likely the US Capitol. Just before 10 am the plane is seen flying low and erratically over southwestern Pennsylvania. At 10:03 it crashes, upside -down, at 563 miles per hour into a Somerset County, Pennsylvania field. There are no survivors, all 33 passengers, 7 crewmembers, and 4 hijackers are killed. What happened on board Flight 93 why it crashed here and why it did not strike its target revealed itself as a story of heroic action. When the terrorist-hijackers took over the plane, passengers and crew began phoning family, friends, and authorities to report the hijacking. Their calls 13 people placed 37 calls told them of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. Their plane, they now realized, was part of a planned attack. Passengers and crew then made a collective decision, by vote, to rush the terrorists and try to retake the plane. Recovered from the crash site, the cockpit voice recorder captured the shouts, thumps, crashes, and breaking of glass and plates. The 9/11 Commission reported that the hijackers, although remaining in control of the plane, must have judged that the passengers and crew were mere seconds from over-coming them. To continued sounds of the counterattack, Flight 93 crashed into the field. The crash site is 18 minutes flying time from Washington, DC. The action of unarmed passengers and crew thwarted and defeated the terrorists plan. Congress designated the crash site as a national memorial in A seven-ton boulder marks the impact site and the debris field. The fields and woods beyond are the final resting place for the passengers and crew; their remains are still present. On September 9, 2018, the healing sound of a giant wind chime was resonated through Somerset County, Pennsylvania, when the Flight 93 National Memorial commemorated the 17 th anniversary of the plane s crash on September 11, The newly constructed, 93-foot Tower of Voices will serve as a permanent visual and audible reminder of the heroism of its passengers and crew. If you want to hear a rendition of the chimes go to:

P a g e 6 September 2018 G r a v e M a r k e r P r e s e r v

With many thanks to our boots-on-the-ground Grave Marker

This is only possible with your ongoing financial support of

If you're interested in future training sessions, please

6 P a g e 6 September 2018 G r a v e M a r k e r P r e s e r v a t i o n! With many thanks to our boots-on-the-ground Grave Marker Preservation team, 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 future training sessions, please contact Cindy Lee at geckofamilee@cox.net with your interest so we can keep you posted on the next opportunity. S a v e t h e D a t e! P C A F i e l d T r i p A p r i l 1 s t

P a g e 7 September 2018 T h e D i s a p p e a r i n g G r a v e s t o n e!

On one such search, we were looking for Francis Dietzman and any mention of family. His name was known to us because he had been on a list created by the City of Phoenix early in 1935.

That idea was abandoned when the cost was determined too costly. At one time Francis had a gravestone and was buried somewhere in Rosedale. The stone was there in 1935, but was now missing.

The article was titled Such is Life, Odd Slants Found in Today s News and appeared in the Arizona Republic November 7, 1935.

7 P a g e 7 September 2018 T h e D i s a p p e a r i n g G r a v e s t o n e! - P a t t y G a u l t Our research team is constantly searching through newspapers and on-line websites to find additional information on those people buried in our seven cemeteries. On one such search, we were looking for Francis Dietzman and any mention of family. His name was known to us because he had been on a list created by the City of Phoenix early in The City of Phoenix was looking to move the cemeteries because the downtown area was growing and the cemeteries were overgrown and unsightly. That idea was abandoned when the cost was determined too costly. At one time Francis had a gravestone and was buried somewhere in Rosedale. The stone was there in 1935, but was now missing. Then on May 29, 2018, while searching his name through Arizona newspapers, a story appeared. The article was titled Such is Life, Odd Slants Found in Today s News and appeared in the Arizona Republic November 7, It related that the custodian of South Mountain Park had found a gravestone inscribed Francis Dietzman, The stone was believed to have been removed from a burial location as a Halloween prank. The article went on to state that Park custodian C.M. Holbert was looking for someone who had lost a gravestone. There is no follow-up article on what happened to the gravestone, but it obviously was not returned to Rosedale. Mr. Holbert died in 1948 and is largely credited as being one of the original workers to preserve South Mountain Park as a historical monument and a municipal park. He is buried in Double Butte Cemetery. But where is Francis Dietzman s gravestone now? T h a n k Y o u P i e s t e w a P e a k C h a p t e r N S D A R! SOur a many v e thanks t hto e our latest D aeagle t e Scout! candidate P C A for creating F i ethis l d beautiful T rmemorial i p Walkway A p rin ifront l of 1Porter s t Cemetery! A lovely bench was placed alongside of it, which was enerously donated by Piestewa Peak Chapter, NSDAR. This makes a wonderful, quiet spot under the trees to reflect and pay respects. Stay tuned for details of how you can become a part of this lovely walkway. We're in the process of making pavers available for you to have a loved one or a group's name etched as a memorial tribute. You'll want to be a part of the opportunity to be a part of Phoenix history!

P a g e 8 September 2018 P C A M e m b e r s h i p Thank you for your interest in the Pioneers Cemetery Association! Membership is January 1 through December 31.

Membership benefits include: Access to research materials of Pioneer & Military Memorial Park (P&MMP) Attendance at monthly Board and Membership meetings Free attendance at Open House events Free

8 P a g e 8 September 2018 P C A M e m b e r s h i p Thank you for your interest in the Pioneers Cemetery Association! Membership is January 1 through December 31. The PCA is a 501 (c)(3) corporation, and membership dues are deductible to the extent allowed by law. Membership benefits include: Access to research materials of Pioneer & Military Memorial Park (P&MMP) Attendance at monthly Board and Membership meetings Free attendance at Open House events Free walking tour guide and map of P&MMP Free tour of the historic 1897 Smurthwaite House Quarterly electronic newsletter Rest In Peace (RIP) The opportunity to acknowledge and support Arizona history The PCA headquarters is located in the Smurthwaite House at 1317 W. Jefferson. Our is: pioneercem@yahoo.com. Check out our website at and find us on Facebook at Pioneers Cemetery Association. 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, and community engagement. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION: NEW RENEWAL DATE NEW MEMBERS REFERRED BY: NAME(S) PHONE ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP Membership Categories: Individual $25 Family $30 Make Check payable to: Organization or Sustaining $50 Pioneers Cemetery Assoc., Inc. PO Box Phoenix, AZ Donations greatly appreciated $ A small convenience fee will be added for credit card purchases.

P a g e 9 September 2018 P C A U p c o m i n g E v e n t s September 27 Open House 10am-2pm October 4 Board meeting, 9:30am; Open House 10am-2pm 11 City of Phoenix meeting, 9:30am; Open House

9 P a g e 9 September 2018 P C A U p c o m i n g E v e n t s September 27 Open House 10am-2pm October 4 Board meeting, 9:30am; Open House 10am-2pm 11 City of Phoenix meeting, 9:30am; Open House 10am-2pm 18 Open House 10am-2pm 25 Open House 10am-2pm 27 Open House/Special Event Authors Roundup, 6-8pm, light refreshments served, costumed re-enactors attending, guest speakers, book signing, books available for purchase. November 1 Annual Board meeting, 9:30am; Open House 10am-2pm 8 City of Phoenix meeting, 9:30am; Open House 10am-2pm 10 Open House/Special Event Honoring Our Veterans, 10am-2pm, light refreshments served. RSVP REQUIRED. ALL VETERANS (and families!) ARE WELCOME! Special focus on our interred military heroes. 15 Open House 10am-2pm 29 Open House 10am-2pm December 6 - Board meeting, 9:30am; Open House 10am-2pm 8 Holiday Party, members only appreciation event 13 - City of Phoenix meeting, 9:30am; Open House 10am-2pm 15 Wreaths Across America, National Memorial Cemetery, 10am 20 Open House 10am-2pm

research and materials of Pioneer & Military Memorial Park (Cemetery) May attend monthly Board and Membership meetings Free attendance at monthly open house

10 WE RE ON THE WEB AZHISTCEMETERIES.ORG PCA Officers President: Vivia Strang Vice President: Mark Lamm Treasurer: Debbie Branning Secretary: Judy Smith Membership Benefits Free access to research and materials of Pioneer & Military Memorial Park (Cemetery) May attend monthly Board and Membership meetings Free attendance at monthly open house events Free walking map of the Pioneer & Military Memorial Park (Cemetery) Quarterly electronic newsletter Your opportunity to support Arizona history Volunteer Opportunities: (Check one or more) Cemetery tour leader Historical researcher Recordkeeping assistance Grounds beautification Fundraising Special event volunteer Tombstone repair/restoration Website assistant Publicity & marketing Graphic artist & designer Grant writing & research Academic liaison Newsletter contributor Any other ideas are welcome How did you hear about Pioneers Cemetery Association?

THE R.I.P REPORT TRIBUTE BY VAL WILSON

THE R.I.P REPORT TRIBUTE BY VAL WILSON P a g e 1 T h e R. I. P. R e p o r t THE R.I.P REPORT P I O N E E R S C E M E T E R Y A S S O C I A T I O N TRIBUTE BY VAL WILSON Throughout the annals of our nation s history, many an American soldier