Some people live quietly, contributing to the world in ways that don’t demand attention but deserve it. Theresa Delsoin is one of those remarkable individuals whose life is a testament to resilience, service, and the power of personal history. At 83 years old, she has done more in one lifetime than most could ever imagine—from growing up as the granddaughter of a woman born into slavery, to serving in the Peace Corps in her 60s, to authoring two books that chronicle her family’s legacy. And today, her story continues to enrich the Cairo community.

Born in St. Louis in 1941, Theresa’s life began in a world very different from today’s. When she was just six, her family moved to Cairo, Illinois, a move that would anchor much of her life. Her upbringing was shaped by strong maternal influences and the insistence on education. “My mother was a single parent, very strong and pushy when it came to education,” Theresa recalls. Her family’s commitment to learning wasn’t just about the mind, though—it was about survival, dignity, and freedom. Her grandfather, who held a degree from Moody College, was an ordained minister, and her grandmother, born into slavery, embodied the resilience that runs through Theresa’s veins.

“My grandmother was born into slavery in Missouri,” she says, her voice calm but steady, as if sharing a story from long ago that still echoes today. It was this legacy of hardship and perseverance that shaped Theresa’s own path forward. Her family’s history of survival through some of the darkest times in American history is something she has captured in her writing. Alongside her sister, Mildred Buckner Johnson, she co-authored Malindy’s Freedom: The Story of a Slave Family, a powerful narrative that traces the lineage of their family from slavery to freedom, documenting the struggles and triumphs of their ancestors.

But Theresa didn’t stop at telling her family’s story. She has spent her life writing new chapters through her work and service. As a woman deeply involved in social services, Theresa broke barriers when she became the first female club director of the Boys & Girls Club in Chicago, working tirelessly to uplift underserved communities. After decades of serving others in the United States, Theresa took on a new challenge in her 60s: she joined the Peace Corps.

“I went to Samoa in my 60s,” Theresa says with a smile. Despite living with a brain disorder called cervical dystonia which affects her speech and muscles in the neck, she felt called to serve. For 26 months, she lived in villages across Samoa, where she established the first preschool and worked with international organizations like the United Nations and the European Union. Her efforts helped raise well over $100,000 for the local communities, a life-changing sum for the villagers she worked with. “I learned to be a better person in Samoa,” Theresa says, reflecting on the experience. “They taught me to give up ego and embrace the importance of caring for the whole group.”

For Theresa, this sense of community and collective responsibility is something she sees reflected back in Cairo—a town she has always called home, despite her travels and the hardships that took her temporarily away. When she returned to Cairo in 2007 after her Peace Corps service, she bought a house right across the street from the elementary school in which our interview took place. “I just knew this was where I was supposed to be,” she says.She has worked for the Cairo School District No.1 for 16 years and enjoys being a permanent substitute teacher for the Cairo Elementary School. Since then, she has been an integral part of the Cairo community, organizing efforts to challenge utility rates, improve public housing, and supports the new Rise Community Market. Plus she is on the political committee for the NAACP of Alexander/Pulaski Counties.Currently, she is also a board member of the Community Health Emergency Services, Inc.

Theresa’s life is woven into the very fabric of Cairo’s history. Today, as a writer, activist, and filmmaker, Theresa’s work continues to ripple far beyond Cairo. She is currently producer and director of a documentary about the housing crisis in Cairo called On The Battlefield, that has been screened in film festivals around the world, from Germany to Taiwan. Presently, she is producer of a documentary, Untitled, A Cairo Documentary, that is funded by the Ford Foundation. The story of Cairo, told through her lens, is one of resilience, just like her own life.

Theresa’s legacy extends through her family as well. Her children and grandchildren have followed in her footsteps, thriving in their own fields. One grandchild graduated from Stanford University, another from Kent State, and yet another attends Penn State. “I never thought I’d have a child go into social work,” she laughs, reflecting on the full-circle moment when her daughter followed a similar path of service and care in her 60’s.

Theresa Delsoin’s life is proof that the past and present are inextricably linked, and that the strength of our ancestors can guide us forward. She is a reminder that even in the face of hardship, there is always the opportunity to make a difference, to lift up a community, and to leave behind a legacy that will last for generations.

In Cairo, where the confluence of two mighty rivers meets, Theresa Delsoin is a river of her own—steadfast, powerful, and ever-moving toward progress.