The (mitten) tree of life

SALISBURY —For the past few years of her life, Pat Murray, who died Dec. 1, 2009, of a terminal disease at the age of 68, was a virtual shut-in. Prohibited by her doctor to have any visitors for fear of infection to her compromised immune system, this woman who loved people had to be sequestered from the public.

But that did not stop her from engaging with the community.

A lifelong quilter, knitter and experienced tatter, Mrs. Murray channeled her energy and love into mittens, hats and lap robes that could be distributed to children and the elderly.

Her story is “eerily similar to the children’s book, ‘The Mitten Tree,’� said Karen Lundeen, a second-grade teacher at Salisbury Central School. It is one of Lundeen’s favorite books. In the “The Mitten Tree,� a woman knits mittens for a little boy and his friends and hangs them on a tree near the bus stop for them to find in the morning. They never discover the identity of their guardian angel. After reading it to the class, a child asked, “Is it a true story?�

“In a way, it is,� said Lundeen. “And I told them all about Mrs. Murray,� who, for more years than anyone can remember, had been knitting mittens and hats and donating them to Salisbury Family Services.

Lundeen’s class decided that  a most fitting tribute to Mrs.Murray would be to create a mitten tree as an entry in the Noble Horizons Festival of Trees.

They designed a tree and, with the help of children in the preschool program at Salisbury Central School, decorated it with blue felt mittens.

They also made a plaque dedicating the tree to Mrs. Murray. They made a copy of the plaque and were planning to deliver it to her last week, with a copy of the book.  

Mrs. Murray knew about the project. But she died before she had a chance to see it.

Her family, though, did get to see the tree and plaque and said these gestures of recognition from the community are deeply appreciated.

Her husband, Bob Murray, and son, Joe, shared some memories with The Journal. They described a woman who hated the illness that kept her confined. Despite debilitating obstacles in the last three years of her life — she was on oxygen and was virtually blind — her “love of life and people� kept her reaching out. She worked tirelessly. She knitted by feel. If she made a mistake, she could feel it, and would rip it out and start over, they said.

She had already delivered this year’s hats and mittens and in fact, has knitted many of next year’s as well. Bob Murray said a group of family and friends is planning to continue the tradition in her name.

An appreciation and  obituary of Pat Murray are on the obituaries page, A10.