Columbia woman knits more than 300 hats for mission in South Dakota

Year after year, a Columbia woman’s hobby is bringing holiday cheer to people in need.

Cynthia Murray began knitting and sending hats to the Oglala Lakota Nation in Martin, South Dakota when her mother became debilitated with ALS four years ago. She said her brother told her that his church, the Church Of God Holiness in Fulton was sending blankets and other supplies for families within the Sioux Nation.

“Well, I can make hats,” Murray immediately thought. She said she didn’t get a lot done that first year, but started making them earlier the following year.

“The man that is in charge of the mission has told my brother several times that people really like the homemade stuff,” Murray said. “A lot of the church will send money, gifts and things like that, but I understand that when they got something that was handmade for them, it was exciting.”

Her mother passed away two years ago, but Murray hasn’t stopped knitting hats. This year, she knitted more than 300 for both children and adults.

“I enjoy doing it,” said Murray. “[I feel] like they are going to get some use out of it, something that will make them happy at Christmas time because I understand that a lot of them don’t get much for Christmas.”

The hundreds of hats will go to the Martin Lakota Chapel and Mission in South Dakota. The mission provides clothing and food to families who request them.

“I just think that people ought to find something that they can do for others that makes [them] feel good to be able to share with somebody else,” said Murray of her giving spirit.