Sigma Kappa - Purdue University

Margo Louderback Murdock '61 has been a Master Gardener for more than 20 years, is an HOA voting member, takes continuing education classes through OASIS, and tutors reading for a second grader. She lives in Albuquerque, NM. Email: murdock@swcp.com Lois "Jean" Menchhofer Schwalbert '63 has been married to her sweetheart for 59 years, whom she met at the Grille in H-3, where he lived. "We are blessed with a wonderful family and enjoy travel and being involved in community service in the town we love— Aiken, SC." Email: jeansch97@yahoo.com Susan Raatz Radatz '66 retired from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in 2012, after 22 years. She sings in the choir at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in her town of La Grange, IL. She takes yoga classes twice a week and enjoys genealogy. Email: scradatz708@gmail.com Kerry Councilman Averette '71 retired from pulpit ministry when Ray died and spent six years facilitating GriefShare seminars. She married Roy eight years ago, and they have had some fun adventures traveling and enjoying his two grandkids and her five grandkids. "I am usually found in my quilting room creating." Kerry resides in Durham, NC. Email: kerry.vitkus@yahoo.com Judy E. Birkel '76 enjoys keeping up with Beta Sigs on Facebook and loved the recent anniversary reunion. She stays busy with church responsibilities, Bible study, her grandkids, and her recently adopted hobby of birding. "It has taken me to Belize as well as Costa Rica and Florida. Anywhere we travel, there are birds!" Judy lives in Noblesville, IN. Email: judy.birkel@gmail.com Sheryl Gloyd Burdick '77 is enjoying retirement in Fort Worth, TX. She keeps busy with Pilates and mahjong. She has two grandchildren. Email: sherryjburdick@gmail.com Marge Hushek English '80 shares that her first grandchild, Maeve, was born in November 2023 to her son, Matt, and his wife, Allison, who live in Cave Creek, AZ. Marge resides in Cincinnati, OH. Email: menglish3204@gmail.com Georgiana "Gigi" Geimer Messler '87 earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Ball State in 2024. She resides in Englewood, FL. Email: gigimessler1988@gmail.com Kari House Foote '88 teaches yoga to a specialized population at her local Jewish community center. "My students have diverse abilities, including Down syndrome." She lives in Whitefish Bay, WI. Email: karifoote@mac.com 3 W hen Lisa Weyler Swain '83 went through recruitment, she appreciated how comfortable and inviting Sigma Kappa was and the uniqueness of the members. When it was time for Shelby Swain Myers '12 to choose her sisterhood, even though she was a legacy, she was overwhelmed by the recruitment process. "I feel like the older girls in our chapter knew better than I did that Sigma Kappa was the right place for me, and I'm thankful I listened," she said. Emma '18 initially thought she wanted to be in a different sorority than her mother and sister, but when she met the women of Beta Sigma, she found they were just like her and shared similar values. Joining the sisterhood was extra special, as Shelby and Lisa were there to initiate her. Lisa also had the honor of initiating Shelby. "The whole ceremony of initiation was even more special for me by being a part of each of their ceremonies and remembering all of its true meaning," she said. Shelby and Emma have fond memories of living in the chapter house. "In the spring of my junior year, all my friends and I lived in the same corner of the sorority house, so we were never too far from each other, which was great," Emma recalled. Lisa remembers taking a road trip with her sisters to visit the Sigma Kappa chapter at the University of Illinois. "It was a weekend full of laughs and great sister bonding." The three women were each involved in leadership positions, both in the chapter and on campus. Lisa was class representative, participated in many recruitment skits, and was a part of the U-Sing group. Emma served as Vice President of Standards and Values in the chapter and was heavily involved with Panhellenic, serving as associate Vice President of Recruitment, Director of Recruitment Logistics and, eventually, Panhellenic President. Shelby participated in leadership roles in Beta Sigma early on, and throughout her time at Purdue, she represented the chapter across campus as a College of Agriculture Ag ambassador and member of both the Ag Student Council and Purdue Foundation Student Board. When her daughters joined Sigma Kappa, Lisa was thrilled to get involved, serving as the treasurer of the Parents' Club, which allowed her to be a part of making improvements to the house. She now serves as a member of the House Corporation Board and has loved seeing the continued vibrance in the house. Emma has served as an advisor for Beta Sigma for over a year. Lisa, Shelby, and Emma love sharing the Sigma Kappa sisterhood. "My mom, my sister, and I being Sigma Kappas is something we'll always share," Emma said. Being sisters with my mom and Emma gave us another level of vulnerability and protection that is incredibly rare with any kind of relationship," Shelby shared. "I'm thankful for it and them every single day." Emma, Lisa, and Shelby on a cruise in 2024. A Love for Sigma Kappa T H E S W A I N F A M I LY R E F L E C T S O N T H E I R E X P E R I E N C E S ALUMNAE NEWS Connect with Lisa at lswain1985@comcast.net, Shelby at seswain12@gmail.com, and Emma at eeswain18@gmail.com.

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