If I had to describe Spicer-Mullikin in one word, it would be Families – from the many we serve, to the close-knit group of people working at our locations, to the generations that helped build this business. The story behind our history of service to area families starts with our own founding families.
Over one hundred years ago, William Haines opened a funeral home in Delaware that would grow into Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes & Crematory, an award-winning, nationally-recognized provider of dignified and compassionate services to communities in New Castle, Newark, Delaware City and, soon, Middletown.
- 1906: The Haines family opens Haines Funeral Home in Wilmington. In 1932, they make Delaware history by building a new location at 24th and Market Streets; the first building in the State specifically designed to house a funeral home.
- 1936: The Spicer family enters the funeral home business when John W. Spicer Jr. opens a location in Delaware City.
- 1939: The Mullikin family, led by James Mullikin, establishes a funeral home at 27th and Market Streets in Wilmington.
- 1946 – 1961: These become pivotal and transformative years of change; Mr. Haines dies, and his wife agrees to sell the business to Mr. Spicer. Eventually, the Spicer and Mullikin family businesses merge, and Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes &Crematory is born in 1956. They soon expand with a location in New Castle.
- 1962 – 2012: The Mayer and Smith families grow and evolve the business into the next century when Frank C. Mayer Jr. and Harvey C. Smith join Spicer-Mullikin, eventually buying the business as partners in 1968. A Newark location is added, and the Wilmington location sold. By the time Frank C. Mayer III and I purchase the company from our fathers in 2012, Spicer-Mullikin has established a reputation as Delaware’s premier funeral home and crematory business, following a tradition of dedicated and exemplary service.
- 2015 – Today: Spicer-Mullikin has earned national recognition, winning four consecutive Pursuit of Excellence awards from the National Funeral Directors Association, as well as its coveted Best of the Best and Richard Myers Pinnacle awards. A fourth location in Middletown, Delaware, opens in 2019.
Our founding families – Haines, Spicer, Mullikin, Mayer and Smith – all have one thing in common: love of service to Delaware and its communities. And it gives us particular joy as we prepare to open our newest location in a community so many Spicer-Mullikin associate families have called home for years: Middletown. As at all our sites, our Middletown family of associates looks forward to serving yours in the proud tradition and commitment of the many generations before us.