How many hats could you knit in a year? 10? 50? How about 400? That was the standard for Thomas James Cornish of Champlin, MN, who hand-knit a hat a day, and oftentimes more, for The Salvation Army to give to people experiencing homelessness. Tom, a dedicated lifelong volunteer, continued to make professional-level hats until he was physically unable. He died late last year at the age of 101. 

Thomas Cornish was born on June 27^th, 1924, in Wetmore, MI, the fifth of eight children. His mother died when he was 10. He accepted Jesus as his savior when he was 11 and his faith was very important to him from then on. 

Tom worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps during his youth before volunteering to join the Navy in World War II. He served for three years traveling in the South Pacific on a water tanker and delivering fresh water to other ships and troops. He always sent his paycheck home to help his dad and younger siblings. Tom looked back on his wartime service as his “trip around the world.” 

He married Lorraine Gjerstad on June 1, 1947. They moved to Bloomington, MN in 1948 and raised five children there. They were very active members of their church and volunteered in many ways. Lorraine died suddenly in April 1995. 

In 1996 Tom married Marvel “Daisy” Schoolmeesters, who also had five children. He and Daisy would travel in the winter to help Christian camps in the southern U.S. get their facilities ready for campers. They also volunteered at the local senior center helping the “old” people (while they themselves were in their 70s and 80s). During his retirement he began making stocking caps to give to The Salvation Army.

After 23 years of marriage to Daisy, Tom was widowed again. He lived in an independent senior living facility for 11 years until the Lord welcomed him home on November 1, 2025. He was successfully able to knit hats until the last year of his life when his good health began to decline.

“Tom was always ready to help anyone in need,” said Tom’s son Jerry Cornish. “It was just who he was.” Tom modeled his life after Colossians 3:23 which says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (NIV). The work Tom did was a form of worship. “His ultimate motivation was to serve the Lord Jesus with excellence in whatever he did, whether plowing snow when he worked for the city of Bloomington or making hats for homeless people,” said Jerry. “It was amazing that he physically could do the repetitive motion of making hats day after day for years. I’m sure he would have sore fingers, arms and back from doing that, but he would tell me, ‘I’m working for the Lord.’”

Crafting hats diligently and meticulously gave Tom purpose in the later years of his life. And they had to be perfect; he’d pick out specific colors and patterns and proceed to knit carefully. If it wasn’t good enough, he’d tear the hat up and start again. But the quality wasn’t about pride or flaunting skill — it was matter of giving the absolute best to those who needed it. “He had a heart for homeless people and wanted his hats to give warmth to those in need,” Jerry said. “He felt The Salvation Army could best get the hats to those who need them. He refused to give or sell his hats to those who asked. They were for the needy.”

Tom started to receive some acclaim for his efforts when a local TV station did a segment on him and his hat-making during COVID. The segment hit the internet and was broadcast internationally. Tom received letters and donations of yarn and funds for purchasing more yarn from around the world. He also heard from fellow veterans thanking him for his current and former service. He also inspired some of his neighbors to join him in his hat making, further increasing the number of hats donated. “Tom delighted in teaching others to make hats,” Jerry said, stating that Tom’s standards were high, but he patiently taught anyone who had a desire to learn.

Tom’s faith and servant heart have had a lasting impression that continue to influence the large family he left behind. “Several years ago, Tom told me that every night he asked the Lord for forgiveness for any sin he may have committed that day, and he told the Lord that he loved Him,” Jerry said. “And every morning he thanked the Lord for a new day to do the Lord’s will. That was most inspiring to us. You’re never too old to be used by the Lord!”

Thomas Cornish is survived by four children, 14 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson, five stepchildren, 14 step-grandchildren, and 25 step-great-grandchildren.

Photos courtesy of Jerry Cornish