Subject
Contributor
Galelyn McElroy, daughter of Elizabeth Alexander Bristow
Military Branch
Women's Army Corps
Active Duty Entered
April 20, 1954
Active Duty Exit
July 17, 1959
Exit Rank
Sp4
Notes
This entry and the information were provided by Galelyn McElroy, daughter of Elizabeth Alexander Bristow.
Born in Louisville, KY, Elizabeth Alexander was the daughter of William Newman Alexander and Bessie Kate Smith Alexander. The family is enumerated in the 1930-1950 U.S. Census Schedules.
Elizabeth Alexander was a 1948 graduate of Louisville Central High School. She attended Lane College in Jackson, TN, for a year, before joining the Women's Army Corps (WAC) in 1954. She served during the Korean War and was a medic. Elizabeth Alexander was a corporal when she was honorably dishcharged from the U.S. Army in 1959.
After her military service, Elizabeth Alexander married Joseph Thurman Bristow (1927-2004). The couple met at Fort Knox, KY, when both were enlisted in the U.S. Army. Joseph T. Bristow was born in Virginia. He was a graduate of West Virginia State University and studied German at the Army Language School in California. He learned to speak fluent German and understood Hungarian. His language skills was used in his job as an Army interrogator. Joseph T. Bristow was a captain when he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. The couple divorced in May of 1984.
Elizabeth Alexander Bristow, returned to college and earned a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Louisville. She was a Jefferson County school teacher. Elizabeth A. Bristow died in 2011 and is buried at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Central in Radcliff, KY.
Sources: See Elizabeth Bristow in "Obituaries," The Courier-Journal, 04 January 2011, p.B6; see Elizabeth Alexander in Central High graduates biggest class." The Courier-Journal, 06 February 1948, p.39; see "Elizabeth Alexander" in the U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File at Ancestry.com; see Elizabeth Alexander Bristow at Find A Grave. See Joseph T. Bristow's WWII Draft Registration Card, and the Kentucky, U.S. Divorce Records, both in Ancestry.com.
Born in Louisville, KY, Elizabeth Alexander was the daughter of William Newman Alexander and Bessie Kate Smith Alexander. The family is enumerated in the 1930-1950 U.S. Census Schedules.
Elizabeth Alexander was a 1948 graduate of Louisville Central High School. She attended Lane College in Jackson, TN, for a year, before joining the Women's Army Corps (WAC) in 1954. She served during the Korean War and was a medic. Elizabeth Alexander was a corporal when she was honorably dishcharged from the U.S. Army in 1959.
After her military service, Elizabeth Alexander married Joseph Thurman Bristow (1927-2004). The couple met at Fort Knox, KY, when both were enlisted in the U.S. Army. Joseph T. Bristow was born in Virginia. He was a graduate of West Virginia State University and studied German at the Army Language School in California. He learned to speak fluent German and understood Hungarian. His language skills was used in his job as an Army interrogator. Joseph T. Bristow was a captain when he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. The couple divorced in May of 1984.
Elizabeth Alexander Bristow, returned to college and earned a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Louisville. She was a Jefferson County school teacher. Elizabeth A. Bristow died in 2011 and is buried at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Central in Radcliff, KY.
Sources: See Elizabeth Bristow in "Obituaries," The Courier-Journal, 04 January 2011, p.B6; see Elizabeth Alexander in Central High graduates biggest class." The Courier-Journal, 06 February 1948, p.39; see "Elizabeth Alexander" in the U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File at Ancestry.com; see Elizabeth Alexander Bristow at Find A Grave. See Joseph T. Bristow's WWII Draft Registration Card, and the Kentucky, U.S. Divorce Records, both in Ancestry.com.
Kentucky County & Region
Read about Jefferson County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Bullitt County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Hardin County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Meade County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Kentucky Place (Town or City)
Read about Louisville, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Fort Knox, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Radcliff, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Item Relations
Cited in this Entry
| NKAA Source: Courier-Journal [Louisville] (newspaper) |
Related Entries Citing this Entry
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Cite This NKAA Entry:
“Bristow, Elizabeth Alexander,” Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, accessed October 11, 2026, https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/300005430.
Last modified: 2026-03-05 02:19:59