Veteran services at Skelton Funeral Home
Skelton Funeral Home serves veteran families in Reform, AL with military funeral planning. In their own words: "Skelton Funeral Home provides or facilitates services for veterans, as indicated by their 'Helpful Links' section which includes 'Veterans' and 'Aldan May Advocacy Support'." On-site amenities include skelton funeral home chapel and dogwood chapel, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $5,245 for basic burial and $2,750 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs. A smaller but favorable set of 16 reviews averages 4.3 stars.
Veteran-related services offered include memorial services, graveside ceremonies, basic cremation options, and full service cremation options. 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 skelton funeral home chapel and dogwood 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 Skelton Funeral Home: direct cremation from $2,750. That places direct cremation roughly 47% above the Alabama median ($1,870). 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 Alabama National Cemetery in AL, approximately 70 miles from Skelton Funeral Home. Skelton Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.
Skelton Funeral Home holds a 4.3-star rating from 16 Google reviews, indicating consistent service quality reported by families who have used the home for veteran and non-veteran services alike.
Alabama has approximately 479 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Skelton Funeral Home is among them.
Frequently asked questions
What does a funeral at Skelton Funeral Home cost for veteran families?
From its published general price list, direct cremation starts at $2,750. 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 Skelton Funeral Home located, and can it coordinate a veterans cemetery burial?
Skelton Funeral Home is located at 2105 2Nd Street Southwest Sw-Hwy 17S in Reform, AL. You can reach the home at (205) 375-9661. Staff can coordinate burial with nearby VA national and state veterans cemeteries.
What services does Skelton Funeral Home offer veteran families?
Skelton Funeral Home provides traditional funerals, memorial services, graveside ceremonies, basic cremation options, full service cremation options, and can arrange military funeral honors for eligible veterans.
Does Skelton Funeral Home help veterans with VA burial benefits?
Skelton Funeral Home provides or facilitates services for veterans, as indicated by their 'Helpful Links' section which includes 'Veterans' and 'Aldan May Advocacy Support'.
Which faith traditions does Skelton Funeral Home accommodate?
Staff coordinate services for Free Will Baptist, Independent Methodist, Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME), United Methodist, Baptist families, among others.
How do families rate Skelton Funeral Home?
Skelton Funeral Home holds a 4.3-star rating across 16 Google reviews from local families and veterans.
What sets Skelton Funeral Home apart
- Founder David Skelton's extensive career in funeral service since 1973 before establishing his own funeral home in 2000.
- Operates two chapel facilities: Skelton Funeral Home Chapel in Reform and Dogwood Chapel in Aliceville.
- Provides comprehensive online grief resources through the Griefwords Online Library from the Center for Loss and Life Transition.
- Offers both in-person and online pre-planning and immediate arrangement options.
- Staff includes licensed funeral directors and embalmers, with some members actively involved in local religious leadership roles.
Military & veteran services offered
Burial & cremation services
Burial
- · Graveside Ceremonies
Cremation
- · Basic Cremation Options
- · Full Service Cremation Options
On-site facilities
Religious traditions & languages
Religious traditions accommodated: Free Will Baptist, Independent Methodist, Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME), United Methodist, Baptist, Catholic. Languages spoken at the home: English.
What families have said
Recent reviews from families who used Skelton Funeral Home. Reviews are sourced from Google Places and shown verbatim — we do not edit or filter for sentiment.
“After visiting another funeral home to plan ahead the funeral for my terminally ill mother, I was discouraged by the experience and dreaded the process. My brother suggested this funeral home, and I’m so glad that he did. From the moment we walked in, the staff was empathetic and comforting. Austin and his staff understand that this is not the time to make a profit off of people who are grieving. He listened to what we wanted, and he respected our requests without pushing for more. Everyone here was kind and compassionate. My mother’s funeral service was beautiful and exactly what she wanted. I highly recommend using Skelton’s Funeral Home.”
“Skelton Funerals did an amazing job of caring for my wife and arranged for out of state pickup and burial for her. Everything was so well done and handled with great care and concern. I can definitely recommend them and would use their services again when needed. Austin was my director and he was very kind.”
“Most of the staff were great but when you lose a loved one it should be a very smooth process and your wishes should be fulfilled to help ease the pain. Unfortunately we had to contact the funeral home several times about details rather than them contact us as promised and I was lied to about the end of the service when my loved one’s body was transported to the burial grounds without my grieving mother as requested before the service started. I will not use or recommend this funeral service to anyone ever! As for my family that will be buried in the same area we will use Magnolia in Tuscaloosa.”
“Skelton Funeral Home was a godsend for our family when my mother in law passed. Austin and his staff were caring, compassionate, patient, understanding and made us feel as if we were the only customers he had. They went above and beyond to help us. He runs his business with high standards and excellence. Not once did our family feel as if this was a business transaction. We drove from Tuscaloosa to Reform and it was beyond worth it. In my opinion, no other funeral home exists. (I am not related to anyone affiliated with the funeral home, even though we share a last name.)”
“Austin and his staff treated my family like we was their family and went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed even walking us through the whole process and helping us make the right decision that was best for us. I would suggest them to anyone looking to make future arrangements for themselves or a loved one. If your looking for people who genuinely care about people and want the best for their loved ones I suggest Skelton Funeral Home.”
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 SettlementHow 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.