The proclamation from Gov. John Carney and Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long presented by Miguel Hurtado, constituent relations manager for Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long.
Msgr. Steven Hurley, left, and the Most Rev. William Koenig, bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington, with Matthew C. Smith of Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home and Crematory, and representatives of the Delaware National Guard.
Members of the Delaware National Guard salute during the playing of “Taps” at the committal ceremony for the Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home and Crematory mausoleum for unclaimed cremains Thursday, May 12, 2022, at All Saints Cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware.
(L to R) Msgr. Steven Hurley; the Most Rev. William Koenig ; Matthew C. Smith, owner of Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home and Crematory; Miguel Hurtado, constituent relations manager for Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, and Scott Hudson, supervisor of All Saints Cemetery.
The dedicated space will allow for the dignified interment of cremains that had been unclaimed at the funeral home.
— Matthew C. Smith
WILMINGTON, DE, USA, May 12, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Among the thousands of cremations that take place every year, many individuals’ abandoned cremains – the ashes from the cremation process – remain in safe storage at funeral homes and crematoriums around the United States.
On May 12, Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes and Crematory, with Delaware locations in New Castle, Newark, Delaware City and Middletown, dedicated a mausoleum at All Saints Cemetery on Kirkwood Highway in Wilmington to provide these individuals with honor and dignity and potentially serve as their final resting place.
A Permanent Home:
Currently, Spicer-Mullikin is in possession of abandoned cremains for more than 50 individuals. “The mausoleum will provide not only a dignified resting place for the cremains of more than 50 individuals, but also some degree of access should someone step forward to accept cremains in the future,” says Matthew C. Smith, owner of Spicer-Mullikin.
“We’re grateful to the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington and All Saints Cemetery for collaborating with us on the mausoleum and ceremony,” Smith says. “We’re honored to be able to make this a reality.”
Guests Pay Their Respects:
Present at the private 1 p.m. dedication were Matthew C. Smith, owner of Spicer-Mullikin; Delaware National Guard (https://www.de.ng.mil/) representatives Brig. Gen. Kenneth Haltom, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ronald Wilson and Command Sgt. Maj. Kimberly Hines-Fairfax; a representative from the office of Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long (https://ltgov.delaware.gov/); supervisor of All Saints Cemetery, Scott Hudson; Msgr. Steven Hurley, pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Wilmington (https://sainttom.org/); and the Most Rev. William Koenig, bishop of the Wilmington Diocese, who performed a committal ceremony.
Miguel Hurtado, constituent relations manager for the lieutenant governor, presented on behalf of Gov. John Carney and Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long (a proclamation recognizing Spicer-Mullikin, the Diocese of Wilmington and All Saints Cemetery for establishing the mausoleum, and stating that the dedication was a fitting way to honor the lives of those interred there. The ceremony concluded with the playing of “Taps” by David Carden of Lt. J. Allison O’Daniel VFW Post 475 of Newark to honor those among the deceased who served in the United States armed forces.
About Spicer-Mullikin:
Spicer-Mullikin is a family-owned funeral home and since 1906, we have comforted families by creating personalized, meaningful memorial ceremonies (https://spicermullikin.com/funeral-services) that celebrate the life of a loved one.
Every year since 2015, Spicer-Mullikin has received the prestigious Pursuit of Excellence Award recognizing professionalism and integrity in our profession, presented by the National Association of Funeral Directors (NFDA) (https://nfda.org/). In 2017, we were nominated internationally as the Best of the Best by our NFDA peers. In 2018, we were particularly proud to be named recipients of the inaugural 2018 Richard Myers Pinnacle Award. This was no small honor.
Spicer-Mullikin is one of the few funeral homes in Delaware to employ a fulltime dedicated professional grief specialist (https://spicermullikin.com/supporting-stem-education/) for post-service care. Our service reflects your love.
Matthew C. Smith
Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home and Crematory
+1 303-378-0300
matt@spicermullikin.com
