Alexandre, Mary Elizabeth (1894–1970)

1894–1970

Parents: James Henry Alexandre (1848–1912) and Elizabeth Boyce Lawrence (1862–1906).

Spouse: Nathaniel Edward Caldwell Rutter (1890–1947).

Children: Nathaniel Edward Caldwell Rutter Jr. (1918–2002), Mary Elizabeth Rutter (1920–2003), Nancy Rutter (1921–2013), John Alexandre Rutter (1922–2008), and Virginia Lawrence Rutter (1926–2015).

Kinship: Maternal grandmother of the post–World War II Smith generation.

Early Life

Mary Elizabeth “May” Alexandre was born in 1894, the twin sister of Frederick Francis Alexandre (1894–1968) and the youngest daughter of James Henry Alexandre and Elizabeth Boyce Lawrence. Her mother’s early death in 1906 and her father’s in 1912 left her and her siblings to be raised largely under the care of relatives, notably her aunt, Mrs. John E. Alexandre. She was educated in New York and was known for her charm and poise within the North Shore social circle.

Marriage to Nathaniel Edward Caldwell Rutter

Mary Alexandre married Nathaniel Edward Caldwell Rutter, son of Mrs. Nathaniel C. Reynal of White Plains, at St. Agnes’s Roman Catholic Church in Manhattan on January 18, 1917. The ceremony was conducted by Monsignor Henry A. Brann, assisted by the Rev. William A. Martin of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Rev. John J. Delaney. The New York Times noted that it was a small and quiet wedding owing to the recent death of her grandfather, Colonel Frederick N. Lawrence.

“Miss Alexandre walked up the nave with her brother, J. Henry Alexandre, who gave her in marriage. She wore a short frock of white chiffon, draped with old point lace, and the court train was also veiled with lace. She carried white orchids.”

Her sister, Virginia L. Alexandre, served as maid of honor, and her cousin Anna Remsen Alexandre was among the bridesmaids, alongside Justine Van Rensselaer Townsend, Katharine Greene, and Edith Wellman.

Later Life

Following their marriage, the Rutters lived in Glen Cove and later in Lawrence, Long Island. Mary was active in charitable and social affairs, often in association with her extended Alexandre and Lawrence relatives. The Rutter family maintained close ties with the Alexandres, regularly appearing at family gatherings and events in Lawrence and on the North Shore.

Death

Mary Elizabeth Alexandre died on August 2, 1970, closing a life that linked two prominent New York families—the Lawrences and the Alexandres—and whose descendants carried forward their intertwined social and civic traditions. She was remembered for her elegance, quiet strength, and the enduring family connections she helped maintain across generations.