An industrious 100-year-old woman named Erma Palmiter is raising money with a talent she’s been honing for 88 years. She makes beautiful, intricate artwork out of crochet. Erma keeps a photo album full of evidence of her extraordinary handiwork, from afghans to doilies, and towels to blankets. One carefully crocheted piece even featured the Declaration of Independence: Erma sent it to the White House. President Donald Trump sent a “thank you” note back.“I started crocheting when I was 12 years old,” Erma said during an interview with FOX 17, implying decades of patience and hard work. “My mother taught me how to do it.”Erma in her younger years worked as a teacher for children at the kindergarten through 2nd grade and knows how underfunded the education institution can be. Now that she’s retired and crochets from her home in Newaygo, Michigan, she helps out in the best way she can: by crafting, crafting, crafting! The elderly lady still boasts amazing dexterity and knows how to quilt, too, but decided “it was more interesting to crochet.”“She gets up about 9:30 a.m. to have breakfast and do her little morning routine,” Erma’s granddaughter Kristine revealed. “By 10:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. she sits in her chair and crochets and continues to crochet until about 7 o’clock at night.”Erma loves to keep busy and uses a magnifying glass with a light to protect her eyesight. She dedicates much of her day to her craft projects.“They need some help paying the teacher, paying for the materials that they use to teach the children with,” Erma shared, speaking of the profession she left behind. “I just like children, and the more anyone can educate them, get them going for the rest of their life, I’d like to help.”She certainly is helping. “Last year we turned in $5,000,” she said, revealing that crocheting is much more than a hobby: it’s a lucrative venture that allows her to give back to the cause closest to her heart. She continued: “I’ve already turned in $500 this year.”Erma sells her crafts at Christ Lutheran Church in White Cloud, Michigan. The preschool that receives the bulk of her donations is housed within the very same building. The “Pay It Forward Person of the Month” program, sponsored by Lake Michigan Credit Union and Fox 17, have also recognized Erma’s consistent contributions to her community, not to mention her crafty talent, and gifted her $300 in prize money. Erma is asked one question more than most others: Is crafting the reason she has made it to 100? “I have no idea,” she responded. “Just the Lord’s blessing I guess. I just take my vitamins and do what the doctor tells me!”The queen of crafting is well-known and loved in her local community.“The more she does, the more people want to help, the more people want to buy, they want to contribute,” her granddaughter continued. “We’ve been absolutely blessed to have her for all these years,” Erma’s son Robert chimed in. “She’s really an inspiration for a lot of people.”“She’s just a joy to be around,” Robert added. “And, she’ll whoop you at the card table, too.”What an inspiration! Share Erma’s story with friends and loved ones and spread the spirit of creativity.