The year was 1864; a man by the name of Tilghman H. Reinsmith opened a funeral service to go along with the furniture store he owned at 191 Main St., Emmaus. Little did he know his business would still be going strong after 150 years. Although the furniture business is no longer around, the Reinsmith Funeral Home has been continually serving Emmaus and surrounding communities for a century and a half.

The original location of the funeral home on Main Street served the community for 71 years. In 1935, the Reinsmith family decided to relocate the funeral home from Main Street to Fourth Street in Emmaus, and 10 years later, they moved once again to Third Street.

In 1952, the Reinsmith family purchased the property at 225 Elm St., where a new building was constructed to accommodate the Reinsmith Funeral Home. Although going through several renovations and additions since then, this building still serves as the current location for the funeral home.

The business itself had spanned three generations of the Reinsmith family. Having begun with Tilghman, his son, Fred T. Reinsmith was involved with the business for 66 years until he retired in 1962. Donald H. and Frederick R. Reinsmith joined their father, Fred, in 1934 and 1935 respectively. Donald was the last family member to have owned and operated the funeral home under the Reinsmith name.

In 1983, Donald Reinsmith began to plan for his retirement. Having had no children of his own with his wife, Marguerite, Donald decided to look for a successor to the family business. That year, Donald agreed to sell the business to John R. Kulik. An Allentown native, John graduated from Dieruff High School, Kutztown University and the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. After graduating from mortuary school in 1975, John went to work with his father, William W. Kulik Sr., at the Kulik Funeral Home on the east side of Allentown. John later purchased the business from his father around the same time he bought the Reinsmith business in April of 1983.

Later that year, John and his wife Dolores moved their family into the Elm Street location where they raised their three children, Christina, Richard and Michael. Since that time, the Kulik family has made several changes and additions to the building to better serve the Emmaus community. Some of the improvements included increasing the size of the parlor, adding a casket/urn showroom, changing the front of the facility by adding a handicapped accessible ramp, landscaping and a large off-street parking lot.

After a few years of operating both the Kulik Funeral Home in Allentown and Kulik-Reinsmith Funeral Home in Emmaus, John was eager to grow the business. As John was able to establish and associate the Kulik name within the Emmaus community and maintain what his father had begun in Allentown, another business became available.

Maryann Bachman decided to sell the Bachman Funeral Home she and her husband Donald had owned and operated in Allentown. In 1989, John purchased the Bachman business and operated the location under the name of Bachman-Kulik Funeral Home. As the business grew, John was starting to see and feel the impact of three separate locations, two of which were in changing neighborhoods.

In 1993, John decided to purchase land and a building at the corner of 17th and Hamilton streets in Allentown. The thought was to merge the two Allentown businesses, Kulik and Bachman, into one modern, spacious facility.

On June 25, 1995, a new funeral home was opened with seating for 350 people and an 85-car parking lot. Shortly after opening the new facility in Allentown, John decided to rename the Allentown and Emmaus locations as Bachman, Kulik & Reinsmith Funeral Homes, P.C.

To date, both facilities are fully operational, serving more than 400 families combined annually.

John resides above the Emmaus location, active in the day-to-day operations of the funeral home and maintaining the property the Reinsmith family built in 1952. Dolores Kulik continues to keep the books. John's surviving children are both active in the business.

Christina (Kulik) Schantzenbach is the named supervisor of the Emmaus location and John's son, Michael, is preparing to become a licensed funeral director.

The staff of licensed funeral directors includes Vernon Keefer, Jeffrey Urenko, Lisa Greenawalt, Venice Anderson and William Kulik Jr.

The funeral home staff also includes Annmarie Moniak, Kathy Fox and a host of part-time staff members who support the day-to-day operations.

With the committed effort of his family, the devoted employees on staff and the support of the communities, John plans to carry on the Reinsmith legacy for a long time to come.

A special note of remembrance to Richard J. Kulik, the son of John and Dolores Kulik, who died Oct. 27, 1995.

As a way to thank the community for its continued support, Bachman, Kulik & Reinsmith Funeral Homes, P.C., is inviting everyone to its appreciation celebration.

The event will take place June 28 at the Band Shell Pavilion, Emmaus Community Park, 1401 Shimerville Road, Emmaus.

The Walt Groller Orchestra, an award winning polka band, will perform 1 to 3 p.m.

School's Out Band, comprised of teachers and former East Penn students, will offer rock 'n' roll, Motown, R & B, funk and more 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Smokin' Smitty's Catering will provide food 2 to 6 p.m.; food and music are compliments of Bachman, Kulik & Reinsmith Funeral Homes, P.C.

Guests are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs.