Mary Lou Ann Alexander

Mary Lou Ann Brandt Alexander went to be with the Lord on Sunday, May 18, 2025. She was born October 3, 1936, in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, at home in the family farmhouse on the banks of the Ohio River to her parents, Raymond William Brandt and Velma Elizabeth Booher Brandt. When she was 3 months old, Lawrenceburg was devastated by the 1937 Ohio River Flood. Her Aunt Emily and Uncle Walter carried her out of her home before it was covered by river waters. She was the second child and the firstborn daughter to her parents. William, whom everyone called Bill, was seven years older, but after Mary Lou’s birth, five more children were soon born: Robert, “Bob,” Gary, Patricia “Trish,” Ida, and Kristina “Kristi.” Being the oldest girl in a busy farming family, Mary Lou had many responsibilities around her house, but she had a giving heart and a strong work ethic and was devoted to caring for her family.

Her journey of faith began early. As a young girl growing up in rural southern Indiana, a church bus would come down the country road to pick her up for Sunday services. Even at a young age, Mary Lou took her faith seriously. As the eldest sibling, she quickly took on the responsibility of getting all her younger brothers and sisters dressed and ready for church each week. She loved it. One Sunday, when the pastor preached the Gospel and said, “Don’t wait,” Mary Lou didn’t hesitate—she made the decision to be baptized that very day.

Much of Mary Lou’s early life took place at various farmsteads in the Ohio River Valley, much of her family’s ancestral home since before the Civil War. There, she learned how to drive and operate heavy machinery as well as the family car. When she was a first grader, she set high standards and was at the top of her class. Of course, Lindo Laker and Bob Craddick were her only classmates. She was a cheerleader at Jennings County High School and worked at a diner where she wore roller skates and deftly balanced trays of food on her arms. A man from a wealthy family in town and state senator saw her potential and wanted to pay for her to go to college. Her father, Raymond, was very smart but lacked much formal education. As a result, he was wary of college graduates and refused the offer.

While working at her job shortly after graduating from high school, she met David Alexander, also from North Vernon, Indiana, although four years older. After initially refusing to give him her name, eventually, she agreed to go on a date with him, and from there, they fell in love. After marrying in 1956, David and Mary Lou made their first of many moves to the big city of Indianapolis and began their own family. Their firstborn, a boy called Christopher David, died at 14 months old. Shortly after Chris’s tragic passing, their daughter, Cheryl Sue, was born.

After Cheryl’s birth, they made another move for Dave’s job all the way to New Orleans, where Mary Lou—although a strange Yankee—was accepted and became friends with the locals. They also welcomed their son, Gary Robert, there, but soon, they had to make another move for Dave’s job, so they all left Louisiana and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where their third son, Timothy Harold “Ty,” was born in 1965, and 14 months later, their daughter, Laurie Ann, in 1966. Dave’s work, again, called him to a new city, this time to Chicago, and Mary Lou dutifully moved with her family to the suburb of Northbrook. They stayed there only a few years as work moved David to Cleveland, and so they all moved to Bay Village. Their final move was to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1978 where they settled in a small but growing suburb, Dunwoody.

Through all of the moves and the struggle that came with unpacking and adapting to new places, Mary Lou was like an anchor. She told her children that when they moved, they should pack up their happiness and take it to their next city. She was a steadfast mother and wife, and she remained a devoted oldest sister, as well. She and her siblings remained close and shared daily phone calls until the very end of her life.

After Mary Lou’s marriage to David, her own father and mother had moved with all her siblings to Southern California, so Mary Lou and Dave would load up their children in the family car and drive across the country to visit them every summer. Traveling to California to see her many siblings and their spouses and children became a favorite tradition. While visiting, Mary Lou especially loved the family’s long-standing visits to Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm and the beaches and deserts. Her favorite ride at Disneyland was It’s a Small World, which always reminded her of her beloved mother. She loved waiting in long lines where her large family could catch up on their months apart.

In 1982, Mary Lou and Dave bought a lake house on Lake Lanier. That home became a sacred gathering place, where countless memories were made. Over the years, they welcomed not just their children and grandchildren, but future in-laws, new friends, and extended family. Mary Lou especially loved a boat ride followed by a homemade meal with all of her children and grandchildren crowded around the table. Famously, she was the only woman we have ever known who could waterski in her seventies without getting her hair wet.

Mary Lou was one of the strongest people any of us have ever known. She could do anything she set her mind to—from driving tractors to organizing cross-country family trips with four kids in tow. Her strength wasn’t loud, but it was constant, dependable, and full of grace. She loved her children and grandchildren with every fiber of her being. Her love was fierce, unwavering, and evident in everything she did—from holiday traditions to everyday phone calls and hugs.

She had a gift for comfort. She always carried candy in her purse and kept an extra jacket on hand in case one of her grandchildren got cold during church or their many lunches and dinners together. She’d scoop them up onto her lap and wrap them up to keep them warm, offering not just warmth but a sense of complete safety and love. These small gestures became lasting memories—ones her grandchildren will treasure forever.

Mary Lou was a devoted member of Dunwoody Baptist Church, where her faith continued to flourish. She loved her Sunday school class, the Samaritans, where she found meaningful friendships and spiritual community. She faithfully served in Sunday school and through Benevolence for many years, quietly and compassionately helping those in need. She and Dave also enjoyed visiting the DBC gym together, staying active side by side in the later years of their marriage.

Mary Lou also had a love for Braves baseball. She and her husband, Dave, hardly ever missed a game. If they weren’t watching television, they would listen on the radio, cheering together through every inning, season after season. It was another one of the many shared joys in their beautiful life together. When filmed for a promotional video, the interviewer asked Mary Lou to discuss her hobbies. She immediately answered, “I enjoy taking care of my husband and my family.” Her life of devotion and service is reflected in her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren’s affection for her and their commitment to their own families.

She is survived by her children, Cheryl (Erik) Christensen, Gary (Alison) Alexander, Ty Alexander, and Laurie (Chris) Banks ; her grandchildren, Tyler (Laura) Alexander, Hallie (Joseph) Mills, David (Sarah) Alexander, Caroline (Matthew) Snowberger, Alexander (Morgan) Christensen, Elizabeth Banks, Ansley (Blair) Chenault, John Banks, Emily (Bo) Ezell, Matthew Banks, Victoria Alexander, and Ty Alexander; and her eleven (two more due this summer!) great-grandchildren, all of whom carry a piece of her with them.

Although we will miss our mother and grandmother so deeply, we rejoice in the fact that she is home with Jesus, reunited with the love of her life, Dave, and—after all the many years of waiting—finally seeing her baby boy, Chris, once again.