Throughout this year we have all witnessed the loss of loved ones and others who have touched our hearts in ways we might not have imagined. For many of us within the Springfield area – with emphasis on the Black community – one of those great losses was that of Elizabeth Alexander.
Born Elizabeth Geraldine Tinsley to George E. Tinsley and Geraldine Murrell-Tinsley, Ms. Liz – as she was often addressed – was kind, poised, took absolutely no mess, and had a welcoming smile that was noticeable from a mile away. That same smile was one of the first to greet me when I began my journey with the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum nearly five years ago.
Not only did she diligently serve as facility administrator, graphic designer and a board member of the SCIAAHM, she was a devoted volunteer as well. She cared deeply about the preservation of our varied histories, which showed in the way she helped operate the museum. No longer seeing her stoic image grace its doorways has felt very strange and misplaced for many of us.
A skilled researcher, she also assisted in carefully curating an exhibit on four of the oldest Black churches in Springfield and two installations of “Early African American Pioneers of Central Illinois.” The exhibit bore the history of her mother’s side of the family, the Murrells, a family whose journey in central Illinois goes back to the 1870s. Board members, some who also assisted in this effort, keep her memory fondly.
“Liz Alexander was a mainstay of the African American History Museum,” said board president Carolyn Farrar. “She was devoted to making the museum a premier organization to serve the community, whether improving the facility or planning and developing captivating programs and exhibits, Liz was always at the forefront of making things happen.”
Board member Aaron Pearl said, “My recollection of Mrs. Alexander is that she was very prompt in everything that she did. She also expected everyone to work at their highest standards. There was nothing that she wouldn’t do for this organization. I cannot put words to her love for the African American History Museum. We lost a true cornerstone that can never be replaced.”
While she held a great deal of adoration for the museum and those who worked in it, there was nothing in this world more important than her family – her husband, Steve Alexander, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A few would occasionally trail her into the museum, and she doted on them at every chance.
In addition to living by her faith, Ms. Liz also lived for the ones she cared for the most, making sure they knew love, understood that their futures were bright and teaching them to be unmovable.
Steve Alexander, an accomplished musician, had this to say of his beloved wife of 26 years: “She was the love of my life. I admired her dedication and how she was never afraid to get her hands dirty. As for the museum, Liz was very instrumental, alongside Jerrie Blakely, in getting it off the ground. She dedicated her life and time to that as well.”
Ms. Liz was a success in many facets. Her career was spent in the banking industry, from which she retired in 1998. Prior to the close of her professional career, she also fulfilled her dream of procuring a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois in 1995, through faith and perseverance.
She will be forever cherished in our hearts and minds.
June Chappelle, the museum coordinator of the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum, has been working in historical research and curation for more than six years. He has been a freelance writer for Illinois Times since 2020.
This article appears in Remembering 2022.
