Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery

Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Seville, Ohio. VA lists it as open for burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery

Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery is the second national cemetery built in Ohio and the 119th in the national cemetery system.

Currently, there are more than one million veterans living in the State of Ohio and approximately 540,000 residing in the cemetery’s service area. The first two phases of construction, covering 65 acres of 273-acre cemetery, included 21,000 gravesites, 10,100 columbaria niches and 3,800 in-ground garden niches for cremated remains. At full capacity, Ohio Western Reserve can provide burial space for 106,000 eligible veterans and dependents, beyond the year 2050.

Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery lies approximately 45 miles south of Cleveland in Medina County near the town of Seville. The cemetery’s name refers to the part of the Northwest Territory formerly known as the Connecticut Western Reserve, a tract of land in Northeast Ohio reserved by the State of Connecticut when it ceded its claims for western lands to the U.S. government in 1786.

Monuments and Memorials Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery features a pathway that is lined with memorials that honor America’s veterans, which have been donated by various organizations. As of 2017, there were 139 memorials, most commemorating events and troops of 20th century war.

Directions

When using any Computer Map Program (ex: Map Quest) use Zip Code 44273.

From the North: Cleveland / Cleveland Hopkins Airport, Take Interstate 71 South to Interstate 76 East (exit 209). Take Interstate 76 East to Exit 2 (Route 3/Seville). Turn right onto Route 3. Go to the first traffic light, Greenwich Road. Turn Left onto Greenwich Road. Travel three miles to Rawiga Road. Turn Right onto Rawiga Road. Cemetery is 1¼ mile down on the left.

Flowers and grounds rules

You can place fresh cut flowers on your loved one's grave throughout the year.

At the time of burial, two floral arrangements with the casket or urn will be placed on the completed grave.

Who can be buried at Ohio Western Reserve 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 Ohio Western Reserve 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 Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Ohio Western Reserve 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 Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery directly at 330-335-3069.

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 Ohio law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Ohio 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.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Woodland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Cleveland, OH: 35 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Ohio Veterans Home Cemetery, Sandusky, OH: 54 mi, open for burials
• Confederate Stockade Cemetery, Sandusky, OH: 57 mi, closed to new in-ground burials