By John H. Tang

Phoenix Chinese Community leaders were on hand in the erection of a long needed memorial marker acknowledging the memory of early Phoenix Chinese Pioneers who settled in the area around 1886 to about 1914. The erection of the marker took about two years of planning with the help of the Phoenix Chinese Welfare Council headed by President Homer Zhang, Chinese United Association of Greater Phoenix President David Yee, Ong Ko Met Association President James Tang, and Phoenix Pioneer Cemetery Association President Mark Lamm. The joint memorial project also included organizational members from the Phoenix Chinese American Citizens Alliance and the Yee Fung Toy Association.

Those attending the historic erection of the memorial monument were John H. Tang, Cheak Yee, Raymond Tang, Homer Zhang, Sterling, Foster, Joe Yue, Mark Lamm, David Yee, Benny Yee, Denise Foster, Cathy Johnson, James Tang, Rudy Yee, and David Cui.

Phoenix Pioneer Cemetery Association President Mark Lamm indicated that there is a list of about 50 Chinese pioneers who are buried at the historic site located at 1317 W. Jefferson, south of the old restored Smjrthwaite home.

”A lot of the old Chinese cemetery markers are gone, because many of them were made of wood and did not survive the desert heat and other elements”, said PCA President Mark Lamm. ” The new stone marker will last for many more years showing where the early Chinese Pioneers were buried.” Phoenix Chinese United President David Yee said, ”Chinese families can now come to a place where they can pay proper respects to those who lived here many years ago”

Phoenix Chinese leaders watch as workmen erect the stone marker in memory of the early Phoenix Chinese pioneers who lived in Phoenix around 1886 to 1914.

Under the leadership of many Chinese Community leaders from Phoenix Chinese Welfare Council, Chinese United Association of Greater Phoenix, Phoenix Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Yee Fung Toy Association, Ong Ko Met Association, and the Phoenix Cemetery Historical Association, there is now a proper marker in memory of our Phoenix Chinese Pioneers.

Standing in front of the new stone memorial for the Chinese Pioneers are (LtoR) Vice President Raymond Tang, Chinese Welfare Council President Homer Zhang, PCA Vice President Sterling Foster, Yee Fung Toy Association President Joe Yue, PCA President Mark Lamm, Phoenix Chinese United President David Yee, PCA Board Member Denise Foster, and PCA Archaeologist Cathy Johnson.