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Marion National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility

Marion, Indiana · VA national cemetery

Address, hours, directions and contact details: Marion National Cemetery.

VeteranFunerals Editorial·5 min read·May 1, 2026·Facts checked

You can look up burials at Marion National Cemetery on VA's daily burial schedule, which lists the committal services families have agreed to publish. Veterans who were not dishonorably discharged can be buried here, and so can their spouses and some dependent children. To schedule a burial, you or the funeral director call VA's National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117.

History of Marion National Cemetery

In 1888, Colonel George W. Steele, Indiana's congressional representative, successfully convinced his colleagues in Washington, D.C. of the need for a Soldier's Home in Grant County. Subsequently, the 31-acre Marion Branch of the National Home opened in 1889 to provide shelter and comfort for the region's veterans. Along with the home, a cemetery was established for the interment of the men who died there. The first burial occurred two years after the home opened in May 1890. For most of its history, the cemetery at the Marion Home has quietly and efficiently cared for the needs of the nation's veterans with few significant changes.

In 1920, the home was renamed Marion Sanatorium and in 1930, administration of the home was transferred to the newly created Veterans Administration. Additional acreage was transferred from the Veterans Health Administration twice in the cemetery's history. Six acres were added in 1974 and six more in 1988. As of 1973, with the passage of the National Cemetery Act, the cemetery became part of the National Cemetery system and its name was changed to Marion National Cemetery.

Marion National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

Monuments and Memorials The Remember the Maine monument was erected in 1901 in honor of the lives lost in Cuba's Havana Harbor during the Spanish-American War.

Notable veterans buried at Marion National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note at Marion National Cemetery, with section and site where it has them.

  • Medal of Honor
  • The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Recipients receive the Medal of Honor from the President on behalf of Congress. It was first awarded during the Civil War and the eligibility criteria, medal design, and recognition on a recipients' grave marker have all evolved over time. There are 434 Medal of Honor recipients interred at VA national cemeteries including 6 double recipients.
  • Medal of Honor recipients interred or memorialized here:
  • Sergeant Henry J. Hyde (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company M, 1st U.S. Cavalry, for gallant conduct during winter 1872–1873. Hyde died in 1893 and is buried in Section 1, Site 97.
  • Seaman Nicholas Irwin (Civil War). Irwin received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy for actions on board the USS Brooklyn during the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama, August 5, 1864. He died in 1896 and is buried in Section 1, Site 382.
  • Captain Jeremiah Kuder (Civil War). Kuder received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company A, 74th Indiana Infantry, for actions at Jonesboro, GA, September 1, 1864. Kuder died in 1916 and is buried in Section 4, Site 2464.
  • Other Burials Private Gerald Dixon (World War I). Dixon (1896–1967) was born in Seymore, IN. He never finished grade school and worked as a messenger in a railroad office until he enlisted in the U.S. Army on February 27, 1914, at the age of 17. He was one of 110 soldiers in the 24th Infantry Regiment who were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for their involvement in the 1917 Camp Logan Riot. Dixon maintained his innocence, but was convicted through guilt by association and sent to Leavenworth Penitentiary. His sentence was later commuted by J. Edgar Hoover, and he was released on parole effective September 17, 1924. Dixon passed away in October 1967 and was laid to rest at the Estates of Serenity in Marion, IN. On November 13, 2023, the Army set aside the courts-martial of all 110 convicted soldiers, including Dixon, making him eligible for burial in a national cemetery. On October 28, 2024, Dixon and his wife were reinterred at Marion National Cemetery. They now rest in Section 12, Site 340.
  • William (Willis) H. Furbush was born in Kentucky ca. 1840, and little is known of his childhood. He was literate and an accomplished photographer. Furbush enlisted in the Army in February 1865, joining the 42nd U.S. Colored Troops Infantry. Sgt. Furbush was honorably discharged in October, and in 1866, he went with the American Colonization Society to Liberia. Furbush returned to the United States when Reconstruction offered political and economic opportunities to African Americans. He was elected to the Arkansas General Assembly in 1872. Furbush's career received mixed reviews because he supported civil rights and was a conservative collaborator with white Democrats during this period. Furbush entered the Marion Branch of the National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in October 1901 and died September 3, 1902 (Section 1, Site 774).

Visiting hours at Marion National Cemetery

Visitation Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk. The cemetery gate is closed at 6:00 p.m., but visitors can still access the cemetery through the VA Medical Center Main Gate. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day. VA will continue its practice of honoring special requests for weekend burials for religious purposes, in cases of service members killed in action and on at least one day of any three-day Federal holiday weekend at all open VA national cemeteries.

Who can be buried at Marion National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

  • A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
  • Opening and closing of the grave
  • A government-provided burial liner
  • A government-provided headstone or marker
  • Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Marion National Cemetery?

  1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
  2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
  3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Marion National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Marion National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Marion National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Marion National Cemetery directly at 765-674-0284.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

  • Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
  • Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
  • Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Indiana law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Indiana and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Funeral homes near Marion National Cemetery

A funeral director usually arranges the burial with the cemetery. These are the closest funeral homes by straight-line distance. Each one links to its full listing on FuneralUS, our funeral home directory.

  1. 0.3 mi from the cemetery
  2. Integrity Funeral Care
    Marion, INMilitary honors services
    1.5 mi from the cemetery
  3. 2.7 mi from the cemetery
  4. 4.1 mi from the cemetery
  5. 4.2 mi from the cemetery
  6. 4.2 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS

FAQ

Questions about burial at Marion National Cemetery

  • Is burial at Marion National Cemetery free?

    Yes, for eligible veterans, spouses and dependent children. VA provides the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a burial liner, a headstone or marker, and perpetual care at no cost. The funeral home's services, such as transport and any service before the burial, are arranged and paid for separately.

  • Can I reserve a gravesite at Marion National Cemetery in advance?

    No. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision before a death, but VA says the decision letter doesn't name a cemetery or gravesite, because neither can be reserved in advance.

  • How do I schedule a burial at Marion National Cemetery?

    Fax the veteran's discharge papers to 866-900-6417 or email them to [email protected]. Then you or the funeral director call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET). National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

  • Where can I see the burial schedule for Marion National Cemetery?

    On VA's daily burial schedule at https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/dailyburialschedule/. It covers every national cemetery, but it only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them.

  • Are military funeral honors provided at Marion National Cemetery?

    Yes, if you ask for them. Your funeral director, a Veterans Service Organization or the cemetery staff can arrange them. At minimum, two uniformed service members fold and present the burial flag at the committal shelter, and Taps is played.

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