Supporting Veterans and Their Families
At Historic Lutz Cemetery, our commitment to veterans extends beyond the day of burial. We help families coordinate meaningful Military Honors, provide opportunities to remember and honor veterans through annual remembrance ceremonies and special events, and connect families with trained resources when questions arise about veterans’ benefits and available assistance. Through our relationship with American Legion Post 108 and its Veteran Service Assistance resources, families can receive help exploring important questions such as what benefits their loved one may qualify for, how burial at Historic Lutz Cemetery differs from burial in a national cemetery, how to request a government-furnished headstone or marker, and what benefits may still be available when a veteran is laid to rest in a private cemetery. Our role is to help families understand where to turn, connect them with knowledgeable resources, and ensure that the service and legacy of their veteran are honored with dignity, gratitude, and care.
Did You Know?
Every Veteran. Every Family. Every Situation is Different.
The benefits available to a veteran and their family can vary based on military service, discharge status, circumstances of death, existing VA benefits, and the individual circumstances of surviving family members. Because every situation is unique, understanding what benefits may be available - and how to access them - is where the guidance of a trained veteran resource advocate can be especially valuable.
The information below is intended to help you become familiar with some of the benefits and resources that may be available. It is not intended to determine individual eligibility. We encourage every veteran family to speak privately with a trained resource advocate who can review their specific circumstances, answer their questions, and help ensure they don't overlook benefits their loved one may have earned through military service.
Things to Ask About
Government Headstone or Marker: An eligible veteran buried in a private cemetery may receive a government-furnished headstone or marker. If the family purchases its own monument instead, the veteran may qualify for a VA medallion that is attached to the privately purchased monument.
Burial Flag: An eligible veteran may receive a U.S. burial flag for the funeral or memorial service.
Presidential Memorial Certificate: Eligible family members can request an engraved certificate honoring the veteran's military service.
Military Funeral Honors: Eligible veterans can receive military funeral honors. For a burial at Historic Lutz Cemetery, these can be coordinated seperately from the cemetery's own memorial-service offerings.
VA Burial and Plot/Interment Allowance: Some families may qualify for reimbursement toward funeral/burial expenses and toward the plot or interment. For qualifying non-service-connected deaths occurring on or after October 1, 2025, VA currently lists up to $1,002 for burial/funeral expenses plus $1,002 toward a plot. Service-connected deaths can qualify for a different burial allowance- currently up to $2,000 for deaths on or after September 11, 2001. Eligibility rules matter, so these amounts should never be represented as automatic.
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC): A qualifying spouse, child, or parent may be eligibile for a tax-free monthly compensation when the veteran's death meets the applicable service-connected requirements.
VA Survivors Pension: Certain surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of qualifying wartime veterans may qualify for an income/net-worth-based pension. Aid & Attendance or Housebound benefits can sometimes increase with that pension.
Accrued VA Benefits: If VA owed the veteran certain benefits that had not been paid when the veteran died, eligible survivors may be able to claim those accrued benefits.
Other Survivor Benefits: Depending on the circumstances, survivors may also qualify for programs such as CHAMPVA health coverage, education benefits, VA-backed home-loan eligibility for certain surviving spouses, and bereavement counseling.
The Difference Between Historic Lutz Cemetery and a National Cemetery
At an eligible VA National Cemetery burial, the government provides the gravesite, opening and closing, burial liner, government headstone/marker, and perpetual care at no cost to the family. Eligible veterans also qualify for a burial flag, Presidential Memorial Certificate, and military funeral honors.
At Historic Lutz Cemetry, those cemetery expenses aren't automatically provided by the VA. The family must purchase the cemetery burial rights and applicable services from Historic Lutz Cemetery. Historic Lutz Cemetery honors a 10% discount on all offerings and services to veterans and first responders. But the eligible veteran can still retain several important federal benefits as well. These potentially include a government headstone/marker or medallion, burial flag, Presidential Memorial Certificate, military funeral honors and, for qualifying families, burial/plot allowances.
"There may be benefits available to you; we'll help connect you with a trained resource who can review your family's individual circumstances."
Request for Resource Connection