Margaret's Story

In celebrating Alpha Xi Delta’s 125th anniversary, I am also celebrating my initiation in May 1941 – how amazing – 77 years ago! I have also reached another milestone this year – 96 years old in June!

Alpha Xi Delta Sisters and I had so much fun at PJ parties, singing, dancing together to records and learning together in study hall.

We had "hour dances" with fraternities 2 or 3 days a week. As social chair, I got to go downtown and pick out the records for our record player. We would roll up the rugs in the living room at the Alpha Xi Delta house where the dances were held. This was a good way to meet fraternity men and we would usually only date the ones who were good dancers.

Our Alpha Xi Delta sponsor was Miss Lulu Runge who was a math professor and also well known in the chapter. At meals, she would sit at the end of the dining table stirring her tea. None of us could eat until she started eating, and it seemed as if she’d never stop stirring that tea. One night I sneaked out of the house with a friend to return a fraternity pin to her boyfriend. When we sneaked back in the basement window, Miss Runge was waiting there and caught us. She didn’t penalize us – being scared about getting caught was penalty enough.

My friends and Sisters also nominated me for University of Nebraska sweetheart, and although I didn’t win, I felt it was a great honor that my friends did that for me.

When Roosevelt announced we were at war, several of us were in study hall and we were shocked and scared. We knew our boyfriends would soon be going to war. It changed our lives forever.

Years later, my friends Leona “Frenchie” French, Lois Bridenbaugh, Charlotte Peck, Helen and I attended the Order of the Pearl for our 50-year member recognition.

Thanks Alpha Xi Delta for so many loving and long-time friendships and memories,

Written by Margaret Bixler, '41 Nebraska, Lincoln