I could barely believe my eyes when I arrived at the Maricopa County Cemetery. It was, very possibly, one of the most barren parcels of land I had ever laid eyes on. In fact, a giggle and “this must be the worst cemetery I have ever seen” escaped through my lips.
Maricopa County is a flat, dusty piece of ground. Scant visible grave makers and a small metal sign are the only indications of a cemetery within the confines of a rock and metal fence. In an attempt to quell my impetuousness, I strolled through the cemetery in an effort to understand the plat. A 6 month old Christmas Tree decoration adorned one grave. A Jesus emblazoned cross denoted another grave. Yet another grave was visible only due to the fact that someone had poked a broken coat hanger into the desert dust beneath which a flat marker was buried. No other markers were visible from a distance. And most markers were not even visible close up.
The metal sign I mentioned earlier informed visitors that the Pioneer Cemetery Association is conducting an assesment of the burial sites within the cemetery. It asked for respect to the cemetery as the importance of those interred is discovered.
I no longer think of this as the worst cemetery I have ever visited. Maricopa County Cemetery is simply a cemetery that has been forgotten by the community that has grown up around it.
