Arizona republican., 1912-03-25
DEATH AND BURIAL
 0F SISTO L|zARRAGA
Ending of Humble But Useful Life
 of Well Known Phoenix Man.

Sisto Lizarraga died at his home on
 the alley between Washington and
 Adams and Third and Fourth streets
 on Friday and was buried yesterday
 ollie church. interment being made in
 the potter's field. He was about sixty
 years old and died of strangulatcd
 hernia He is survived by his wife and several children.
 Thus ends the career of one of the
 most humble but vet one of the best
 known residents of this city, though few people perhaps ever knew his last
 name outside of the older residents
 who are familiar with the spanish
 tongue. But almost everybody knew
 old SistO" the grave digger who
 was almost an institution in himself.
 For the last thirty years Sisto has
 been recognized as the official grave
 digger of this city and it is estimated
 that during that time he has planned and eNcaVated the last resting place of possibly two hundred people an
 nually. who have passed from life In Phoenix Thousands have been low
 cred into tombs of his construction and many thousands have shed tears of sorrow as the dirt from his shovel hid loved ones forever from their view
 He first began his labors with the shovel as handy man in time of need in the earlier days when the community buryirg ground surround ed the spot now occupied by the West
 End school house. It was moved to what later became the group of cem- eteries known as the LOOseley or city cemetery and others added to lt. In- cluding the cemeteries of several fra
 ternal orders The West End school building was erected. served it's day and is now all but abandoned. the Looseley and adjoining cemeteries
 have been over populated and inter- ments there have practically ceased
 while the sacred grounds now in use are several in number both east and
 west of the city and far more distant
 and all this time Sisto has been per forming his humble labors. de- pendent servant of all the undertakers and or bcreaved families in their times ut trouble.
 And now that Sisto has gone him self the eventual way of all mankind
 and will sleep as peacefully in the potter's field as elsewhere sentiment inspires the thought that his bones might have had rather more consider ate sepulture Sisto was not only 2 Mexican of good habits and depend able characteristics but in his day was a patriotic son of his native land SD long as he could keep track of where patriots duty lay. But that time ended some years ago and during the recent struggles in Mex leo he refused to align himself with either side for public expression averring that he did not know the merits of the case and anyhow the American flag was the safer to live under
 ] In earlier times. before he left old Mexico he had served on one side Of a revolution. been captured and made to serve with the other. and if mem orv serves the writer. he stated that ] he had been perforated with lead by both sides. whence his decision to not only occupy a neutral attitude but to i keep as far awak from fighting ground as possible in the more recent dis | Iturbances.
 ! In all the years he served Phoenix | in his humble capacity he never ac- quired either wealth or competence i though he managed to live and sup port his family. That he might have { at least the distinction of formal 1 funeral the undertakers cooperated in donating a coffin and the use of | hearse carriages etc. on the occasion i of his final visit to the city of the
 dead in which so much of his life 1 time had been spent.