Juanita Alexander

Gently, as the Arizona sun began to set on a beautiful summer’s eve, Juanita Alexander took her final breath and went home to be with her Lord. Born on a red dirt country road on January 24, 1934, in Preston, Mississippi, Juanita lived every day with a positive spirit. Her parents, Willie and Mary Delia Turner, brought 14 children into the world, and Juanita was the baby. She was named Nutshell by her siblings because they said she cried too much. She helped raise chickens, collected guinea bird eggs, and sat at her mama’s table watching her cook down-home soul food.

On July 14, 1951, Juanita said goodbye to the dirt roads of Mississippi and traveled by train in the great migration to Omaha, Nebraska. Within a few months, she would leave Omaha headed to Chicago with her new husband, Levi. After living on the Southside of Chicago for a short time, she would spend the rest of her married life on the Westside of Chicago at 1615 South Kedvale. Her children Larry and Gwen were born on the southside and Kenneth would be born on the westside. Juanita became an amazing cook, and relatives and friends often dropped by to smell and eat from the delicious pots cooking on the stove. Juanita and Levi’s home became a refuge to others who traveled from Mississippi to Chicago to start a new life knowing they could always find a place to sleep, food to eat, and wise words to live by.

Juanita always gave her best. At Woolworth store cleaning tables, to packing fish on Halsted Street, to making candy at Curtis Candy Company, to building pinball machines at Williams, and assembling lights at Halo, Juanita worked hard and lovingly for her family. After selling jewelry for Caroline Emmons Jewelry, she started her own business in Chicago. Juanita was a saleswoman and could sell you something even if you had not planned on buying it. She loved making items to sale at craft shows and sold her unique crafts at the Chandler retail store, Sibley’s.

After Levi’s death, Juanita moved to Arizona, where she began a new life watching Arizona sunsets. She loved serving others in her church Nursing Home Ministry, as a church greeter, in Women’s Bible Study, by singing in the church choir and the Sun Lakes Chordaires, and by organizing food and donation drives. She treasured time volunteering at Neighbors Who Care, growing flowers, cooking meals, going to church, traveling, and sharing words of wisdom.

Juanita’s greatest joy was being with family and loving her God. No matter the challenge of her life she always persevered. Many people may pass through your life, but everyone who has known her will say, there is no one like Juanita. She leaves to carry on her legacy two sons Larry Alexander (Jolynn) of Oak Park, IL; Kenneth Alexander (Towanna) of Chandler, AZ; one daughter Gwen Smith (LT) of Chandler, AZ; 11 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren; one sister, Edwina Holton of Cleveland, Ohio; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, church family, and friends.