Those who keep us safe
Those who keep us safe: Margie Nix
I’d been seeing her every day for over a year, every morning and every afternoon as I drove down Clay Street on my way to work and back home. I’d been seeing her without ever really seeing her.
It was one particularly miserable rainy and chilly morning not long ago when my son casually said, “I wouldn’t want to be out there today. That lady must really want to keep those kids safe.”
That’s when I knew I found the perfect person for this week’s Those Who Keep Us Safe column.
Her name is Margie Nix, and she is the crossing guard in front of St. Francis that walks the students safely from the parking lot of Sullivan’s grocery store to the Catholic school campus.
When her friend and fellow crossing guard, Brenda Johnson, heard of an opening for another guard she knew Nix was perfect for the job.
Assistant Deputy Chief Eric Paymon with the Vicksburg Police Department obviously agreed as Nix was hired the day after her initial interview.
Nix credits VPD Officer Joseph Stubbs for her excellent training, and the parents and staff at St. Francis agree that she does a wonderful job.
Jennifer Williams and her daughter, Sydney, a student at St. Francis, have grown to love Ms. Nix.
“There is never a day when she isn’t sweet to the kids, and she knows them all by name. You can be having an awful morning, but seeing Ms. Nix’s bright smile just makes it all better,” Williams said.
Nix recalled one day during her first year when the end of the school year was approaching. The students surprised her with cards and letters thanking her for keeping them safe and helping them every day. “It was such a sweet gesture, and it made me feel wonderful. It’s so nice to know I’m appreciated.”
She has been with the police department as a crossing guard since 2017, and says she wishes she had known how much she would love this job a long time ago.
The students, parents and teachers at St. Francis feel the same way, and they hope she continues to brighten each of their mornings and afternoons for many years to come.
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