After 45 years, Disch Picture Framing in New Iberia officially closed its doors in February, leaving behind a legacy of local customer service and satisfaction.

Started by Bill and Gayle Disch, the frame shop stood the test of time for decades on Lewis Street, but the couple never expected to be in that line of work.

In the summertime, when Bill wasn’t working as an educator, he and his wife wanted to find extra income while also working for themselves. After realizing that they could earn more money working for themselves than in the school system, they decided to begin a window tinting and insulation business. After saving up money, the New Iberia residents rented out a building and set up shop in 1976.

“In the summertime, what I was doing was creating a good income with window tinting,” Bill said. “We did well.”

In the cold months, when there wasn’t a need for insulation, according to Bill, Gayle’s sister, Trudy Guillot, who was talented at picture framing, was busy, which was the genesis for the name of their business.

Bill and Gayle Disch, their son Todd and Trudy Guillot built the business into Disch Picture Framing.

“The frame shop grew,” Gayle said. “And it’s a very good business, you just had to hang in there.”

“Framing became better and better,” Gayle siad. “That’s basically our story and together with all of those things is how we built the businesses.”

Gayle, 80, and Bill, 86, felt they were getting too old to continue running the store after Guillote’s death in December, so they closed the business, according to Gayle. Her sister’s death two months prior is when they really stopped, as Gayle credited her sister’s talents for making the picture framing business a success.

“My sister really bought the clientele in,” Gayle said. “She was talented, she was an artist.”

There are plans for the Disches to clean up the building and more likely than not to lease it for someone else.

“We’re not ready for that,” Gayle said.

Along with that red building at 400 S Lewis St., another constant for both Gayle and BIll was the people that they served, something that made their jobs worthwhile.

“When you’re surrounded by good people that pull their end, it went well,” Gayle said. “The people we served were good people.”