Susie was a deeply faithful person, inspiring and ministering to all she met. When she realized she was terminally ill, she faced death with great faith and bravery. Even though she was leaving a husband and four young children, she accepted God’s will – stating that she believed that God’s plan was better than her plan. It was extremely difficult to watch her slip away. Shortly after Susie’s deat
h, my sister Patty and I were comforted by a print/work of art . It deeply touched us, making us realize that we needed to celebrate Susie’s presence in heaven. We started matting and framing this print to share with others when they suffered the loss of a loved-one. We wanted them to experience the same comfort we had and have a lasting memorial gift. Recipients were deeply inspired by the framed keepsake, commenting that they would treasure the gift always. We were inspired to create a ministry/service offering gifts that would comfort and give hope to the bereaved. In 1994 we started “loving memories.” Our name was later changed to “dulaya memories in art” due to a trademark issue. “Dulaya” is derived from the Greek word dulia, which refers to the degree of honor and respect given to the angels and saints. Our vision was a small one. We developed additional framed prints with scripture or inspirational messages to offer comfort and hope to grieving families. We received many, many thank you notes from bereaved. We intended to serve our family, friends, and neighbors locally. God had other plans. We now supply flower & gift shops in several states as well as continuing to take care of our retail customers through phone orders and an online store. We have a small operation Michigan that manufactures and ships our lasting tributes. Dulaya memories has been an incredible blessing. It seemed absolutely impossible at the time that any good could result from Susie’s death. She so often shared her dream of having her own ministry/service – and here we are. Some of the things we have experienced in the last 19 years through our service have been pretty amazing. Please go to www.dulaya.com to see our entire line of beautiful lasting tributes. The dedication label on the back of each print makes each print a treasured memorial of a loved-one. Thank you again for taking the time to read this brief summary of our story.
