For centuries, tulips have graced gardens and homesteads all across Europe and America and one local location is no exception.

For 83 years, tulips have been planted on the grounds at the Trexler Funeral Home, 1625 Highland St. Allentown.

The tulips were originally planted by the Charles F. and Rachel Marie Yost Neuweiler family, Carl Schmoyer said.

The building was originally constructed in 1908 by Clinton N.J. and Anna Furler Roth.

The property was sold around 1920 or 1921 to the Neuweiler family, former owners of the Neuweiler Brewery, Front Street, Allentown, Schmoyer said.

"The property was sold to Arline Rabernold and Theodore Trexler in 1955 after Rachel Neuweiler's death in 1954," Schmoyer said. "The Trexler family bought it and turned it into a funeral home."

Schmoyer's family purchased the funeral home in 1978 from the Trexler family.

"The Master Gardener during the Neuweiler and Trexler ownerships was Josef Tonweber. He was born in 1905 in Austria and died in 1971," Schmoyer said. "He was married to Gertrude and they resided near 1201 N. 18th St., a block from the funeral home."

"Gardens are a big part of European living," Schmoyer said. "Neuweilers, being of European roots, wanted to do what was done in Europe."

Harold W.J. Earley, the original supervisor for Trexler Funeral Home and, who had a green thumb, actively oversaw the planting and care of the tulips from 1937-90.

Today, the tulips are planted by an outside company and maintained in-house after they are planted.

"Over the years, the gardens have provided a sense of serenity to grieving families and an asset to our physical grounds. They also give the staff a pleasant work setting," Schmoyer said. "Also, it [gardens] has some symbolism of the cycle of life, the blooming of flowers after a cold dark winter.

"We are proud to maintain something that was done long ago and, hopefully, we can continue to do so for a long time to come."