Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory

Veteran services at Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory

For veterans in Alexandria, MN, Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory coordinates military honors and burial benefits. In their own words: "Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory assists families in completing necessary forms to obtain benefits provided to deceased veterans through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. They help arrange military funeral honors, which include the playing of 'Taps,' a rifle detail, a color guard, and uniformed service members who fold and present the United States flag to the family. They also provide guidance on VA burial benefits, memorial items, and eligibility for burial in a VA national cemetery or for a headstone/marker." On-site amenities include on_site_chapel and reception_space, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists a quoted rate for basic burial and $2,695 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include cremation, burial, direct_cremation, green_burial, ground_burial, and cemetery_services. Each service is coordinated with the family and, where applicable, with the deceased's last unit or branch honor detail.

On-site facilities of note include on_site_chapel. These spaces accommodate full military honors details, family gatherings before and after the service, and the placement of the United States flag during the visitation period.

Published pricing at Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory: direct cremation from $2,695. That places direct cremation roughly 6% below the Minnesota median ($2,877). Veterans who served on active duty for at least 24 months may qualify for VA burial allowance to offset funeral costs — this home accepts assignment of those benefits where eligible.

The nearest VA national cemetery is Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery - Little Falls in MN, approximately 52 miles from Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory. Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Minnesota has approximately 567 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory apart

• Owns and operates an on-site crematory, ensuring continuous care for the deceased.
• Extensive aftercare programs including monthly grief support groups, a grief resources library, and six-week grief seminars.
• New Horizons program specifically for individuals who have lost a spouse or partner, offering social events and support.
• "Everything After" and "Brighter Mornings" programs for administrative tasks post-loss and emotional grief support with therapist-created courses and online groups.
• Specialized assistance with Veterans Affairs burial benefits, military funeral honors, and memorial items.
• Personalized monument design services through a granite partner.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC).

How honors are coordinated

Military funeral honors are guaranteed at no cost for any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. The funeral home arranges the honors detail by contacting the deceased's last unit or the nearest active-duty installation of the appropriate branch and submitting the DD-214 to verify eligibility.

For requests less than 72 hours from service time, families can call the Department of Defense's expedited honors line at 1-877-MIL-HONR (1-877-645-4667). See the full honors protocol.