Melvin Funeral Home

Veteran services at Melvin Funeral Home

Melvin Funeral Home, located in Harrington, DE, assists those who served and their families. In their own words: "The funeral home assists families with death-related claims, including Social Security and VA insurance. Their immediate need form asks about military service and DD214 papers. One obituary highlighted a veteran's decorated service, indicating experience with military honors." On-site amenities include chapel, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $5,040 for basic burial and $2,175 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include cremation services, veteran services, graveside service, memorial service, urn & memorial plaques, and burial caskets. Each service is coordinated with the family and, where applicable, with the deceased's last unit or branch honor detail.

On-site facilities of note include chapel. These spaces accommodate full military honors details, family gatherings before and after the service, and the placement of the United States flag during the visitation period.

Published pricing at Melvin Funeral Home: direct cremation from $2,175. That places direct cremation roughly 13% below the Delaware median ($2,497). Veterans who served on active duty for at least 24 months may qualify for VA burial allowance to offset funeral costs — this home accepts assignment of those benefits where eligible.

The nearest VA national cemetery is Eastern Shore Veterans Cemetery in MD, approximately 26 miles from Melvin Funeral Home. Melvin Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Delaware has approximately 68 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Melvin Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What does a funeral at Melvin Funeral Home cost for veteran families?

From its published general price list, direct cremation starts at $2,175. Eligible veterans can offset these costs with a VA burial allowance, and burial in a VA national cemetery is provided at no charge.

Where is Melvin Funeral Home located, and can it coordinate a veterans cemetery burial?

Melvin Funeral Home is located at 15522 South Dupont Hwy. in Harrington, DE. You can reach the home at (302) 398-3884. Staff can coordinate burial with nearby VA national and state veterans cemeteries.

What services does Melvin Funeral Home offer veteran families?

Melvin Funeral Home provides traditional services, cremation services, personalization, veteran services, planning ahead, and can arrange military funeral honors for eligible veterans.

Does Melvin Funeral Home help veterans with VA burial benefits?

The funeral home assists families with death-related claims, including Social Security and VA insurance. Their immediate need form asks about military service and DD214 papers. One obituary highlighted a veteran's decorated service, indicating experience with military honors.

Which faith traditions does Melvin Funeral Home accommodate?

Staff coordinate services for Wesleyan, Methodist, Catholic, Nazarene, Episcopal families, among others.

What sets Melvin Funeral Home apart

Family-operated with second-generation licensed funeral directors (C. Eugene Melvin and Crystal Johnson) and a certified Funeral Celebrant (Tammy Williamson).
Dedicated monument division offering custom granite memorials, laser etching, and a wide range of styles.
Specialized "Pets at Peace" division providing pet cremation services and a variety of urns.
On-staff certified Funeral Celebrant for personalized, non-clergy services.
Comprehensive pre-planning assistance with flexible funding options to ease family burden.
Grief support resources, including a year of weekly grief messages.

Military & veteran services offered

★Veteran Services

★Memorial Service

★Urn & Memorial Plaques

★Memorial Markers

Burial & cremation services

Burial

· Graveside Service
· Burial Caskets
· Burial Vaults

Cremation

· Cremation Services
· Urns
· Urn Vaults
· Cremation Caskets

On-site facilities

· Chapel

· In Memory Board

· Monument Division

Affiliations & specializations

Industry affiliations

· Harrington Lions Club
· Harrington Business Association
· Calvary Wesleyan Church of Harrington
· Delaware State Funeral Directors Association
· Delmarva Funeral Service Association
· National Funeral Directors Association

Specializations

· Veteran Services
· Children & Grief
· Monuments
· Pets At Peace

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Wesleyan, Methodist, Catholic, Nazarene, Episcopal. Languages spoken at the home: English.

EverSettled · After the Veteran Funeral

The veteran's spouse may qualify for VA Dependency & Indemnity Compensation.

DIC is a tax-free monthly benefit for surviving spouses, dependent children, and (in some cases) parents of veterans whose death is service-connected. EverSettled walks veteran families through DIC eligibility, survivor pension, life-insurance claims, probate, and the federal-account paperwork that follows.

Begin Veteran Estate Settlement

How honors are coordinated

Military funeral honors are guaranteed at no cost for any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. The funeral home arranges the honors detail by contacting the deceased's last unit or the nearest active-duty installation of the appropriate branch and submitting the DD-214 to verify eligibility.

For requests less than 72 hours from service time, families can call the Department of Defense's expedited honors line at 1-877-MIL-HONR (1-877-645-4667). See the full honors protocol.