Sarah Miller learned last weekend that people can be cruel. In the past few days, the 83-year-old Lawrence woman has learned that people also can be overwhelmingly kind to absolute strangers.

Someone stole Miller’s purse from her unlocked car last Saturday as she visited the graves of her husband and infant daughter in Oak Hill Cemetery, just as she does every Memorial Day weekend. Since an article about the theft appeared in Thursday’s Journal-World, several concerned Lawrence residents have come to Miller’s aid with cash donations, and a Baldwin locksmith has even arranged to change the locks on her home for free.

Miller, who is retired and lives on a fixed income, said the show of community support brought tears to her eyes.

“It’s just wonderful to think that we’ve got so many generous people out there,” she said. “Of course, we’ve got to have a few ornery ones, too.”

Miller had a little more than $200 in her purse when it was taken. She reported the theft to Lawrence Police, but  as she has learned through daily calls to the department  no one has turned in her handbag.

So, she’s working on replacing the items that disappeared with it: her driver’s license, Medicare card, personal checks and spare keys to her car and house. She’s been putting off hiring someone to install new locks on her house  a measure police recommended that she take  because of the expense involved. But Friday, Bill Wilson, who owns Wilson Locksmith and Security Service in Baldwin, contacted the Journal-World and offered to donate his services in replacing Miller’s locks. He said he’d seen the story and figured Miller could use a hand.

“We’re in the service business,” he said. “I hate to see that happen to anybody, but often times, older folks are pretty easy targets.”

Miller accepted Wilson’s offer, saying she hasn’t felt safe this week knowing someone out there had keys to her home.

She said she planned to make a trip to the store soon to buy thank you notes to send to the handful of people who have helped her through this ordeal. In the meantime, she remains optimistic that whoever took her purse might still turn it in, even without the money.

“Maybe whoever took it has a heart,” she said.