A Laurel woman has created an unusual business making teddy bears out of deceased people's clothing, but it's not actually as morbid as it sounds. Ila Freier basically started the business on a whim, a business that has touched lives and brought comfort to dozens of families mourning the loss of a loved one. Ila Freier's Precious Memory Bears have brought comfort to dozens of families grieving over the death of a loved one. She makes the bears out of blue jeans, pajamas, and t-shirts, clothing once worn by someone's mother, grandfather, or even young child. She says, “there's a memory attached to the clothing. It isn't anything spiritistic, but there's a memory attached. They have a scent sometimes. I know one I did still had the scent of perfume on it, and someone said, doesn't it bother you having a dead person's clothes in your home? and no, it doesn't." Ila has made more 30 precious memory bears, but not all are made from the clothing of those who have passed on. For example, Ila says, “there was a young girl, an only child, and this was her favorite dress, and she outgrew the dress and rather than store it in a box, the mother decided to have a bear made up with it. They all have a story. I've never thought about it like that before now, but they do, they all have a story." Turning stories into teddy bears can be a challenge. Ila made one bear for the family of 32 year-old Jenny McCann. Jenny died of breast cancer, and left behind a son and lots of family. She says she attempts to make the bears a reflection of the person. If you'd like to have a bear made just call Ila at 628-7080, and if you've seen something unusual, just email it to us at news@kulr.com and we'll let you know what's up with that.