Peace Pilgrim
By Noey Turk

"Be a sweet melody in the great orchestration, instead of a discordant note. The medicine this sick world needs is love. Hatred must be replaced by love, and fear by faith that love will prevail."

On the first of January in 1953, a woman who let herself be known only as Peace Pilgrim began a long journey to spread her message of peace. She traveled on foot, carrying only a few possessions: a comb, a folding tooth brush, a pen, copies of her message, and her current correspondence. Not only was this all she carried, it was all she owned. Throughout her pilgrimage, she relied on the kindness of others, fasting when no food was offered, sleeping outside when no shelter was provided, and never accepting things that she did not need for her survival (including money).

Her travels began in Los Angeles during the height of McCarthyism and the Korean War. Peace Pilgrim circulated a petition that read: "Let the killing in Korea cease! Then deal with this conflict according to the only principles which can solve it - overcome evil with good and falsehood with truth and hatred with love." This is a message that she carried in one form or another over the more than 25,000 miles that she walked. She always emphasized the importance of inner and outer peace, the joys of living a simple life, and the fact that it was improper for one to have more than was necessary while others did not have enough.

During the course of her travels, she spoke in churches and schools, for radio and television shows, and was written about in newspapers in countless towns and cities across the country. In 1981, Peace Pilgrim's travels ended suddenly in a head-on collision while being driven to a speaking engagement. As she only gave information about herself that she felt was relevant to her message of peace, no one knew how old she was at the time. The place of her birth and her given name also remain a mystery to most, but her message rings clear and many remember her cheerful demeanor and passion for life. "The memorial service should be a joyous farewell party, recalling the good the person has done, reading favorite poems and singing favorite songs. If we did this, the liberated one would be rejoicing with us."