The City of Avondale will host a stakeholders meeting and focus group on Dec. 6 to review the Goodyear Farms Cemetery policy along with proposed improvements and suggestions on how to best honor the historical site and those buried there. 

The city took over operation of the cemetery, which holds a great deal of historical significance for the Southwest Valley and has existed since 1918, seven years ago. 

According to the city, the cemetery site, located on North Santa Fe Trail, is the burial place of migrant workers who once worked in the cotton farms and their descendants, as well as many victims of the 1918 flu pandemic. The cemetery is also the known burial site of several military veterans and former city council member Amando Sernas. 

“The city recognizes that this is a very unique place in the Southwest Vally, with a strong link to our community’s rich agricultural history,” the city said in a press release. 

The Goodyear Farms Cemetery meeting will be held at the Avondale City Hall on West Civic Center Drive from 6-7 p.m. Contact Gloria Baca at gbaca@avondale.org or at 623-333-2626 for more information.