Description

Class Summary

Peggy’s War Author Karl Rhodes tells the story of Susanna Heatwole Brunk Cooprider (1840-1909), the mother of Mennonite leader George R. Brunk I. Orphaned as a teenager, Susanna marries Henry Brunk, a refugee who refuses to fight in the Civil War. Henry flees to Maryland and Susanna joins him by traveling 100 miles through enemy lines with their toddler. After the burning of Chambersburg, Susanna and Henry flee to Illinois and have five more children. They venture 500 miles to Kansas in covered wagons, where Henry dies days after they arrive; three children follow him. Desperate, Susanna marries Mathias Cooprider. Things get worse before getting better.

About the Instructor

Karl Rhodes is the author of Peggy’s War and the forthcoming book Susanna. He retired from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, where he was a senior managing editor in the Research Department. Previously he was director of external communications for Media General and executive editor of Virginia Business magazine.