Prior to starting her own business, Kenosha resident Holly Miller found herself at the end of a long road of personal tragedies.
Three people incredibly important to her, Miller’s “favorite people,” had died. First was her grandmother just weeks before her wedding. Then, two years later, her stepfather. And finally, in the winter of 2018, was Brian Stiner, Miller’s first husband.
It was during those difficult times that Miller said she realized the significance of funeral services, especially the eulogy.
“My favorite people started to pass away, and I felt very compelled to tell their stories,” Miller said. “I just realized how meaningful and important that day is, how meaningful those stories are.”
From those experiences, Miller would build Stories of A Lifetime LLC, which offers funeral and wedding celebrant services, hoping to give the same comfort and closure she gained during her struggles.
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On Thursday, friends, family and fellow local business owners gathered at Miller’s recently opened brick-and-mortar venue, 6040 39th Ave Suite No. 5, which offers an intimate space for smaller scale events.
Miller said she began the business in 2020, just before the COVID pandemic began, changing her career and getting the necessary training to officiate events.
“I’d ventured out on my own with all these hopes and dreams and confidence,” Miller said. “Then the world shut down.”
Despite difficulties, SOAL survived the pandemic, and now with a venue of its own that she obtained in September, Miller is looking to the future.
“I kind of had a dream of having a venue someday, but it wasn’t a priority until I saw how much of a need there was,” Miller said. “We have a lot of fabulous, big venues around here and I love that, but we needed something smaller.”
The ribbon cutting was a crowded event, including Miller’s mother and the building’s owner, Dino Paielli of the neighboring Paielli’s Bakery. During her speech to the gathered group, Miller shared her story, choking up when she recounted losing her husband and starting a business while taking care of her child.
She thanked her mother and Paielli for their support, along with many others who had helped her along the way.
“I don’t cry when I do services, I promise,” Miller joked. The group, including her teary-eyed mother, laughed.
More information about SOAL’s services and Miller’s story can be found on her website, storiesofalifetimellc.com. Miller can be contacted at 262-220-6754 or at holly@storiesofalifetimellc.com.