Elizabeth Ann Terrill, Tulsa Preservation Advocate and Quiet Force Behind Cherokee Historic Projects, Dies at 73

By Cara Cowan Watts

Cherokee 411

Elizabeth Ann Terrill, a longtime Tulsa resident whose quiet professional work helped preserve some of the Cherokee Nation’s most important historic sites, died Nov. 18, 2025. She was 73.

Terrill was born April 30, 1952, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Walter and Louise Miller Butler. She died after a courageous battle with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, her family said.

Though not a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Terrill played a key behind-the-scenes role in historic preservation projects that remain deeply significant to Cherokee history. For 25 years, she worked in marketing for Fritz Baily Architects, a Tulsa-based firm known for its commitment to historic preservation and adaptive reuse.

Colleagues say Terrill’s work helped ensure the success of preservation efforts undertaken in partnership with the Cherokee Nation, including the restoration of the historic Saline Courthouse. The courthouse is the last remaining 19th-century District Courthouse in the Cherokee Nation and stands as a symbol of tribal governance and legal history.

Under the leadership of founders Herb Fritz and Ted Baily, Fritz Baily Architects received recognition for its work on the Saline Courthouse restoration alongside the Cherokee Nation and preservation groups. While her name rarely appeared in headlines, Terrill was present on the ground for many of these projects, helping guide outreach, coordination, and long-term support for preservation work that strengthened Native self-representation through architecture.

Beyond her professional life, Terrill was an avid walker, gardener, and birdwatcher, known as a genuine people person. She devoted significant time as a volunteer with The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges, where she also served on the board for many years. In 2010, she received the Spirit of Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Eastern Oklahoma for her service.

She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Bill Terrill; daughter Rebecca Gibson; son Ryan Terrill and his wife, Sarah; four grandchildren, Christian, Briana, Austin and Ethan; two brothers; a sister; and numerous extended family members and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her son-in-law, Jeremy Gibson.

A celebration of life service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, at Rivercrest Chapel and Event Center at Bixby-South Tulsa Funeral Service.

The family suggests memorial donations be made in Terrill’s name to The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges or the Alzheimer’s Association Oklahoma Chapter.

Though often working quietly, Elizabeth Ann Terrill leaves a lasting legacy through the historic places she helped protect and the communities she served.