Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Delaware Potter Fields

“Currently there are three (3) active Potter’s Fields in the State of Delaware. The Potter’s Field in New Castle County is located in New Castle behind the Baylor Women’s Correctional Center and currently has 665 indigent persons buried there. We bury an average of 26 persons a year in this cemetery. The Kent County Potter’s Field is on the grounds of the Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill in Smyrna and currently has 1,182 indigent persons buried there. We bury an average of 18 persons a year in this cemetery. The Sussex County Potter’s Field is on the grounds of the Stockley Center in Georgetown and currently has 148 indigent persons buried there. We bury an average of 14 persons a year in this cemetery. Most gravesites currently have a small marker with a number to identify the deceased” From The Delaware Division of Social Services website
In 2014 the low bidder cost to the State for an indigent adult burial in Sussex County is $1,500.00 which consists of embalming, body wrapped in a plastic sheet, opening and closing of grave, a pine particle board box in a concrete vault and a grave marker.  Infants over 350 grams in weight are buried for $723.00 and infants under 350 grams in weight are cremated for $95.00

2 comments:

  1. How many inactive Potter Fields are there? I know of at least one on Boulden Blvd in New Castle.

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  2. I have never tried to look that one up. Maybe some day I will try to find out.
    Howard

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