D.C. Secretary Talks About Becoming King Overnight
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Maybe you've received an email that a long lost relative has died, leaving you a fortune? Such scams are common.
A secretary from Washington, D.C. had a similar experience, but it was no scam.
Peggielene Bartels got a call from her cousin three and a half years ago. That cousin informed Bartels that her uncle had been the king of Otuam, Ghana.
Not only that, but the villagers in Otuam had chosen Bartels as the next king.
Her experience is the subject of a new book, "King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village."
Bartels, or King Peggy as she's known, was a guest of Jason DeRusha's on Newsradio 830 WCCO Monday. She told DeRusha that she wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms.
WCCO's Jason DeRusha Interviews King Peggy
Podcast
Bartels now says she's been accepted as king.
It's been a strange experience, from having to pay for her own coronation, to getting to the bottom of widespread corruption in the village. She also established a bank.
She tells DeRusha that she's a "part-time, commuting king."
King Peggy goes back to Otuam every September, but she still lives in Washington, D.C. and continues her regular job as a secretary. She gets up every morning, and calls Ghana to keep updated and make decisions.
As for moving to Ghana to rule, she says not now. Bartels says it will be up to God and her elders to make that decision.
