SUZI LOEFFELHOLZ, OSWEGO Teddy Bears from the Heart Suzi’s mother loved Teddy Bears. She would send them to the grandkids for any occasion. “You did something special, you got a bear. You had a bad experience, another bear,” Suzi says. So, when her mother passed away, Suzi felt making each of the grandkids a teddy bear would be a fitting memorial.
Using her sewing talents, Suzi proceeded to select personal items from her mother’s closet to create one-of-a-kind treasures for each of the kids. “On my son’s, there are paint splatters from when they had spent the day painting ceramics,” Suzi says. “My daughter’s is from a robe she remembered. The teddy bears brought lasting comfort and healing to the family.
Word soon spread throughout the Oswego community where Suzi has lived with her husband and children, Hannah (18) and Ethan (15) for the past 13 years. With the support of her family, Suzi began creating unique teddy bears for others. “My first client looked at me after I had made a bear for her and said, ‘you helped me move from the crazy lady who did not want to get rid of any of my parents’ things, to a person who has a very cool memory bear that I can have sitting out and think of them every time I see it.” Teddy Bears can be made from robes, jeans, pants, jackets, suits, dresses, blankets - just about any type of fabric you can think of, including even the material from a loved one’s favorite chair!
Suzi is an active participant in the Oswego community and previously served as the founding president of Oswego High School’s VIP Art Boosters and volunteered at her church. She is currently studying to take her national board certification and return to massage therapy. For Teddy Bears, email Ted.Suzi0330@gmail.com. -Kristen Kucharski
