Peace Pilgrim (July 18, 1908 – July 7, 1981), born Mildred Lisette Norman, was an American spiritual teacher, mystic,

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campai ...

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...

activist and

peace activist A peace movement is a social movement which seeks to achieve ideals, such as the ending of a particular war (or wars) or minimizing inter-human violence in a particular place or situation. They are often linked to the goal of achieving world pe ...

. In 1952, she became the first woman to walk the entire length of the

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...

in one season. Starting on January 1, 1953, in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. ...

, she adopted the name "Peace Pilgrim" and walked across the United States for 28 years, speaking with others about peace. She was on her seventh cross-country journey when she died. A transcript of a 1964 conversation with Peace Pilgrim from a broadcast on

KPFK KPFK (90.7 FM) is a listener-sponsored radio station based in North Hollywood, California, United States, which serves Southern California, and also streams 24 hours a day via the Internet. It was the second of five stations in the non-commerci ...

radio in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

was published as " Steps Toward Inner Peace". She stopped counting miles in that year, having walked more than for peace.

Early life

Mildred Lisette Norman was born on a

poultry farm Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. Poultry – mostly chickens – are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion chic ...

Egg Harbor City Egg Harbor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 4,396, an increase of 153 from the 2010 Census.New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

, in 1908, the oldest of three children. Her mother, Josephine Marie Ranch, was a tailor, and her father, Ernest Norman, a carpenter. Although poor, the Norman family was admired in a community of German immigrants, whose relatives originally settled the area after escaping Germany in 1855. In 1933 she eloped with Stanley Ryder and moved to Philadelphia in 1939. They divorced in 1946.

Pilgrimage

In the book, "Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words," she related that her physical journey began after having experienced a "spiritual awakening," following a long period of meditation practice. She said that this awakening was a direct,

mystical Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...

experience of the "creator's" love. She claimed that this spurred her to then start her decades-long walking journey for peace. Her pilgrimage spanned almost three decades beginning January 1, 1953, in Pasadena, California. The

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

was in progress. She continued walking for 28 years, spanning the American involvement in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

and beyond. Peace Pilgrim was a frequent speaker at churches, universities, and local and national radio and television. Expressing her ideas about

peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

, she referred to herself only as "Peace Pilgrim." Peace Pilgrim's only possessions were the clothes on her back and the few items she carried in the pockets of her blue tunic which read "Peace Pilgrim" on the front and "25,000 miles on foot for peace" on the back. She had no organizational backing, carried no money, and would not even ask for food or shelter. When she began her pilgrimage she had taken a vow to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food." On July 7, 1981, while being driven to a speaking engagement near Knox,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

, Peace Pilgrim was killed in an automobile accident. The accident occurred on

Indiana State Road 23 State Road 23 is a highway in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Indiana. In practice it runs from the southwest to the northeast, though it is designated as a north–south route.

, around south of the bridge crossing Eagle Creek about north of Indiana State Road 23's intersection with

Indiana State Road 8 State Road 8 in the U.S. State of Indiana consists of two disconnected segments that were never connected. Route description No part of SR 8 in Indiana is included as a part of the National Highway System (NHS). The NHS is a network of hi ...

. A marker is in the front lawn on the west side of the highway. At the time of her death, she was crossing the United States for the seventh time. After her death, her body was cremated, and her ashes were interred in a family plot near

Legacy

Friends of Peace Pilgrim is an all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to making information about the life and message of Peace Pilgrim available freely to all who ask. Since 1983 they have published and distributed over 400,000 copies of the book, ''Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words'', and over 1.5 million copies of the booklet, ''Steps Toward Inner Peace''. Books and booklets have been sent to over 100 countries. The book has been translated into 12 languages and the booklet into over 20 languages. Peace Pilgrim Park Egg Harbor City

In 2005 Peace Pilgrim Park was created in her hometown of Egg Harbor City, New Jersey on part of the site of the former Neutral Water Health Resort Sanitarium. Since 2007 an annual Peace Pilgrim Celebration has been observed in the park and at sites throughout Egg Harbor City on September 20–22. In 2017 she was inducted into the

New Jersey Hall of Fame The New Jersey Hall of Fame is an organization that honors individuals from the U.S. state of New Jersey who have made contributions to society and the world beyond. The Hall of Fame is a designated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, overseen by ...

. The same year, she was inducted into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame.2017 Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
(accessed 6 June 2019)

Awards

*''Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award'' *Inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame (2017) *Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame (2017)

Bibliography

* ''Steps Toward Inner Peace'' (1964) * ''Peace Pilgrim, Her Life and Work in her Own Words'' (1983) * ''Peace Pilgrim: The Spirit of Peace'' (1997) * ''Peace Pilgrim: An American Sage Who Walked Her Talk'' (2000)

Notes

References

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External links

*
Peace Pilgrim website – CaliforniaPeace Pilgrim Website 100th Anniversary- Birthplace, Egg Harbor City, NJ
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Peace Pilgrim 1908 births 1981 deaths Activists from New Jersey American pacifists American spiritual teachers Ascetics Nonviolence advocates People from Egg Harbor City, New Jersey Road incident deaths in Indiana Simple living advocates Walking Writers from New Jersey