Cemetery History
Mesa's first small cemetery was established in 1883, following
a smallpox epidemic that claimed the lives of 44 residents. As the community
grew, more space was needed, and in 1891, land was purchased along Center Street
north of Brown Road for this purpose.
The cemetery celebrated its centennial anniversary in 1991
with the publication of a
historic walking tour and map, documenting the graves
of individuals that played a key role in Mesa's history. This brochure can be
obtained at the cemetery offices by visitors wishing to tour the grounds.
RAF Fighter Pilots
During World War II, an
airbase was constructed in Mesa for the training of U.S. and British fighter
pilots. More than 2,000 pilots were trained at this airfield, Falcon
Field, which today serves as Mesa's
municipal airport. Twenty-three British cadets and one American pilot were
killed in air accidents during Falcon Field's four years as a training facility,
and these individuals are buried in a special section of the Mesa Cemetery.
Located near the center of
the Cemetery, the airmen's grave markers include ranks, serial numbers, and the
eagle crest of the RAF. A special Memorial Day service is held
annually to commemorate the sacrifice of these individuals every year on the
Sunday before the observed Veteran's Day Holiday, at 10:45 a.m. In addition, a
monument at Mesa's Falcon
Field Park was dedicated in 1991 in memory
of all who served at this facility.
Historical Area
To the north of the Cemetery office is a section dedicated to
"those persons unknown buried during the Great Depression". The area
reflects on a bleak period of American history when even permanent memorials
were a luxury.
Noted Individuals
Noted individuals
buried in the Mesa Cemetery include Waylon Jennings, popular
country/western singer and songwriter; John Lee, who, as
Wild West entertainer "Powder River Jack", popularized the American
folk song "Red River Valley"; Ernesto Miranda, whose
1966 Supreme Court case resulted in the "Miranda Rule", which requires
that law enforcement officials inform individuals of their rights upon arrest;
Daniel W. Jones, the leader of the first expedition party to
settle in what is now Mesa in 1877; and Mesa's four "founding
fathers", Charles Crismon, Frances Pomeroy, Charles Robson, and
George W. Sirrine, who are memorialized in a statue in Mesa's Pioneer
Park.
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