PEACE PILGRIM had an impact on people as she walked joyfullyacross the country that will never be adequately expressed. Sheawakened and inspired many thousands during her twenty-eight yearpilgrimage for peace.Those she touched in a personal way carry veryspecial memories—talking, laughing, walking together; listening topilgrimage stories over the dinner table or while driving her to aspeaking engagement; waving goodbyes as she quickly departed forher next destination.
From 1953 until 1981 this silver-haired woman, with cheerfulobedience to her calling, was a server in the world. As sheapproached each country hamlet or sprawling city she carried to allshe met a message of peace expressed so simply:When enough of usfind inner peace, our institutions will become more peaceful and therewill be no more occasion for war.
Following her death in 1981, a number of her friends fromthroughout the country gathered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, toremember her and share our experiences of her. A small groupstayed on to work on the book project, an idea which had been in ourhearts individually for some time.We have attempted in this book topresent Peace Pilgrim’s extraordinary life and teachings in theirpurest form—her own words. They were assembled from her littlebooklet, Steps Toward Inner Peace, her nineteen Peace Pilgrim’s Progressnewsletters, private conversations, excerpts from her correspondenceand talks taped by many individuals over the years. Other valuableresources were the thousands of newspaper articles and otherprinted material in the Peace Pilgrim Collection of the SwarthmoreCollege Peace Library.
Although the words are her own, this book was not written byher as an autobiography. Some material was transcribed verbatimfrom tapes, which gives certain passages a spoken rather than a writtenquality.We wish she had written her own book. People oftenasked if she would write her own story, and more than once sheanswered, “I have really written enough material for a book—it’s justnot in book form.”
Putting it into book form has been our job.
Though her basic message never changed, variety of detail andexperience color each of her communications.You may find severalof her concise statements of principles or aphorisms repeated, butusually in a new context.
The simple yet profound message of Peace Pilgrim’s life andwords is urgently needed in humankind’s search for peace. She hasgiven us renewed hope in the future of this world—hope thatenough might gain inner peace to make world peace possible. Shehas given us an example of a person who lived in inner peace andwas filled with a boundless energy that grew rather than diminishedwith age.
Robert Steele wrote in the Indian journal Gandhi Marg: “PeacePilgrim speaks with astonishing authority and confidence; shereminds one of the spokesmen of God of biblical times. However, herutterances do not sound like a fanatic or dogmatist. Instead, theysound like a deeply sincere and devoted human being who has beenlinked to a wise and ineffable vision...”
Known from coast to coast simply as Peace Pilgrim, it was herwish to stress “the message and not the messenger.” She never tolddetails of her life that she considered unimportant, such as her originalname, age, and birthplace. Since this book is about her pilgrimagein her own words,we have decided not to include these specifics,which can be found elsewhere.
“I never want people to remember me except in connection withpeace,” she said.To those of us who knew her well and saw her overa number of years she will always remain the serene, warm-heartedPeace Pilgrim—full of humor, vitality and the joy of living.
Born on a small farm in the East in the early part of this century,she grew from modest roots and, like many people, graduallyacquired money and things.When she realized this self-centered lifehad become meaningless, and worldly goods burdens to her ratherthan blessings, she walked all one night through the woods until shefelt “a complete willingness, without any reservations, to give my lifeto God and to service.”
She gradually and methodically adopted a life of voluntary simplicity.
She began what was to be a fifteen-year period of preparation,not knowing just what it was she was preparing for. She didvolunteer work for peace groups and also worked with people whohad physical, emotional and mental problems.
During this ‘preparation period’ and in the midst of many spiritualhills and valleys, she found inner peace—and her calling.
Her pilgrimage for peace began on the morning of January 1,1953. She vowed “to remain a wanderer until mankind has learnedthe way of peace.” Peace Pilgrim walked alone and penniless and withno organizational backing. She walked “as a prayer” and as a chance toinspire others to pray and work for peace. She wore navy blue shirtand slacks, and a short tunic with pockets all around the bottom inwhich she carried her only worldly possessions: a comb, a foldingtoothbrush, a ballpoint pen, copies of her message and her currentcorrespondence.
After walking 25,000 miles, which took until 1964, she stoppedcounting miles and speaking became her first priority, although shecontinued to walk daily. Her increasing speaking schedule made itnecessary for her to begin to accept rides often.
Peace Pilgrim talked with thousands of people throughout theMcCarthy era, the Korean war, the Vietnam war and since. She metwith people on city streets and dusty roads, in ghettos, suburbs,deserts and truckstops. She was interviewed by all national radio andTV networks, as well as on hundreds of local stations across thecountry. Newspaper reporters in countless towns and cities large andsmall wrote about her. She would seek them out, if they didn’t findher first, to let people hear about her message. She talked to universityclasses in psychology, political science, philosophy and sociology,to high school assemblies, civic clubs, and spoke from the pulpits ofa variety of churches.
As the years went by, her contagious zest, ready wit and simplewisdom widened her appeal, and audiences responded more andmore frequently with warm and spontaneous laughter and thoughtfulquestions.
And all of these years when many of us were increasingly afraidto go out on our streets, she walked through ‘dangerous’ parts of cities and slept beside the road, on beaches and in bus stations, whenno bed was offered. Through the years strangers became friends,inviting her into their homes and arranging speaking engagements,often a year or more in advance.
Peace Pilgrim believed we had entered a crisis period in humanhistory, “walking the brink between a nuclear war of annihilation anda golden age of peace.” She felt it was her calling to arouse peoplefrom apathy and get them thinking and actively working for peace.
And always she encouraged people to seek the real source of peacewithin, and to use the ways of peace in their relations with others.
At the time of her death Peace Pilgrim was crossing the countryfor the seventh time. She had walked through all fifty states, and hadalso visited the ten provinces in Canada and parts of Mexico. In 1976a man flew her to Alaska and Hawaii to meet his children, walk,speak in churches, and talk with the media. In 1979 and 1980 shereturned to those states, taking with her small groups of people whowished to learn more about her lifestyle. She had plans for returntrips to Alaska and Hawaii in 1984 and was giving thought to invitingothers to join her on ‘inspirational tours’ through several states in theyears that were to come.
She made what she liked to call “the glorious transition to a freerlife” on July 7, 1981 near Knox, Indiana. She died quickly in a headoncollision as she was being driven to a speaking engagement. Hermany friends throughout the country were stunned. Somehow, wenever imagined Peace would be called to leave this earth life so soon.
Yet, one friend wrote, “I feel sure the immediacy of the transition,with no cessation of her activity until it occurred, was as she wouldhave wished it.”
In her last newspaper interview she spoke of being in radianthealth. She was planning her itinerary beyond the current pilgrimageroute and had speaking engagements through 1984. Ted Hayes ofWKVI radio in Knox in an interview with her taped on July 6remarked, “You seem to be a most happy woman.” She replied,“I certainly am a happy person. How could one know God and notbe joyous?”
Messages from friends who hear of her passing continue to bereceived at the little Cologne, New Jersey post office from which hermail was always forwarded. The letters are touching: “My DearPeace, I have just now heard of your death from this earthly body...
If this is not so, please write back.” Another wrote, “I know you areone with God...I see you in the Universe...”
An editor who had interviewed her in the 1960s and became agood friend wrote, “...cycles of prayer go on in my heart, telling herof my appreciation for her teaching and impact and influence on mylife, wishing her well on her journey...”
A friend in Massachusetts wrote, “It was a great shock, to say theleast, as well as a great loss for our little planet! My heart is full atthis time for I, like thousands of other people, loved Peace so much!
But at the same time I feel her presence will always be among usthrough her beautiful teachings and the life she exemplified...”
Many have written hoping that a book would be put together tohelp spread her special message of peace and love. A few others havesaid that they are thinking of writing articles or longer works abouther.We hope this book will be a valuable resource for these andfuture writers, as well as an inspiration and encouragement to thosewho never had the good fortune to meet her.
One who captured her spirit wrote, “The seeds of peace havebeen scattered well. It is the duty of all who were touched by her tobegin the harvest.”
It is our hope that her words and spirit will continue to inspire.
And we join with you in a circle of love, with all others who knewher and were touched by her....
Free of earth, as free as air,Now you travel everywhere.
—Five of Peace’s many friendsSanta Fe, New MexicoMarch 31, 1982