Providing personalized, compassionate services for over 65 years
Our History
Jim and Erlene Hinman
Hinman Funeral Home in Princess Anne, MD was started in 1958 by Jim and Erlene Hinman. Mr. Hinman was born to Arthur and Fannie Lawson Hinman and was raised "Down the Neck" in Crisfield, MD.
Jim's first job was driving a horse and buggy, and selling ice for Tawes Ice Company in Crisfield.
A 1939 graduate of Crisfield High School, where he played the trumpet in the high school band, Jim married Erlene in 1942. World War II intervened, and Jim served in the Army (pictured below) in combat overseas in Belgium and Germany.
A Call to Serve: From Battlefield to Funeral Director
It was during this time, during and after the Battle of the Bulge, that the idea of becoming a funeral director and opening a funeral home of his own was born. One day during his service on the front line, a dead soldier was brought in, and his body was laid in a barn. Jim was deeply moved, and viewing the young soldier, he wondered who would care for him and his family. Who would tell them about their boy and how he died? Being one of thousands of young men and women serving his country, he came to realize the importance of each person, the cost of sacrifice, and how much we truly mean to each other.
Jim and Erlene's first child, Carolyn, was born in January 1945 while he was overseas, and Jim did not see his daughter until she was seven months old when he came home in August 1945.
Jim graduated from the Eckels College of Mortuary Science, Philadelphia, PA, in September of 1948, receiving the President's award. After serving his apprenticeship and passing his State Board, he obtained his Funeral Directors license in May of 1951, and began his funeral service career with Dick Covington in Crisfield, MD.
A Legacy of Service, Family, and Community
Jim and Erlene Hinman
In 1954, the couple's second child, Jimmy, was born. Jim moved to Princess Anne and worked with Dashiell Funeral Home. He opened Hinman Funeral Home in Crisfield in 1956. After Mr. Dashiell's death, Jim opened Hinman Funeral Home in Princess Anne in 1958. He would serve his community until his death in 2005. When his wife, Erlene, died in 2000, they had been married for 58 years. His kindness and compassion were well known, and his commitment to his community was evident in the many organizations he belonged to: Lions, Ruritan, Masons, and Schriners. He is deeply missed by friends and family. His son, Jimmy followed in his fathers' footsteps in the business in 1980 and has been a Funeral Director for 40 years. Jimmy served in the Marines (pictured below) overseas and graduated from Stauton Military Academy, Salisbury State College, and the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.
Jimmy passed away on April 23, 2025, and leaves behind years of trusted service; a service that will continue in his honor.
Continuing the Legacy: Jimmy's Lifetime of Service
His son, Jimmy followed in his fathers' footsteps in the business in 1980 and has been a Funeral Director for 40 years. Jimmy served in the Marines (pictured below) overseas and graduated from Stauton Military Academy, Salisbury State College, and the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. Jimmy passed away on April 23, 2025 and leaves behind years of trusted service; a service that will continue in his honor.
