Mildred Lisette (Peace Pilgrim) - Egg Harbor City, NJ
N 39° 32.170 W 074° 38.519
18S E 530766 N 4376339
On July 12, 2005 a park in her hometown of Egg Harbor City, New Jersey was renamed and dedicated in memory of Peace Pilgrim. In attendance were her sister Helene and friends from near and far as well as many local citizens.
Waymark Code: WM548G
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 11/08/2008
Views: 24
This is an unusual statue in that it is a monotone (brown) color and is similar to something made form clay. It stands on a tiled floor; each tile is unique and hand made, individually created. That tiled floor and the statue rest upon a concrete "patio", which overlooks the rest of the park.
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The terra cotta statue of the 1926 Egg Harbor City High School valedictorian was erected in the London Avenue park across from the Roundhouse museum.
The park is now "Peace Pilgrim Park." Surrounded by tiles made by Egg Harbor City schoolchildren, the statue was funded by grants and is the project of Smithville resident Barbara Reynolds. Reynolds said she was inspired when she discovered Peace Pilgrim's writing about five years ago. She conceived of the project when she realized many local residents had never heard of Mildred Lisette Norman Ryder, who grew up on an Egg Harbor City farm and began walking across the country to promote peace in 1953.
By the time of her death in 1981, she had been interviewed by every major news outlet in the country at least twice. She had been compared to Mother Theresa, Jesus Christ and Mahatma Gandhi. It is safe to say then she is a woman of great historical importance and not just locally.
This statue as well as the park is meant to carry on her message of world peace and global disarmament.