Banister Funeral Home

Veteran services at Banister Funeral Home

Banister Funeral Home in Hiawassee, GA supports veteran families with military funeral arrangements. In their own words: "Banister-Cooper Funeral Home offers specific services for veterans. The staff includes individuals who have served or are actively involved with veteran organizations, such as Ron Schott, a Vietnam War veteran and member of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1101 and the Patriot Guard Riders, whose obituary mentions his dedication to veterans." On-site amenities include on-site chapel, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $2,895 for basic burial and $1,595 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include cremation services, veterans services, memorial service, graveside service, and direct cremation. 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.

The nearest VA national cemetery is Georgia National Cemetery in GA, approximately 68 miles from Banister Funeral Home. Banister Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Georgia has approximately 780 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Banister Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

Does Banister Funeral Home publish funeral prices?

Banister Funeral Home has not posted a full price list online. Under the FTC Funeral Rule it must provide itemized pricing on request — call (706) 896-2218, and ask how VA burial benefits apply.

Where is Banister Funeral Home located, and can it coordinate a veterans cemetery burial?

Banister Funeral Home is located at 678 North Main St. in Hiawassee, GA. You can reach the home at (706) 896-2218. Staff can coordinate burial with nearby VA national and state veterans cemeteries.

What services does Banister Funeral Home offer veteran families?

Banister Funeral Home provides immediate need, traditional services, cremation services, personalization, veterans services, and can arrange military funeral honors for eligible veterans.

Does Banister Funeral Home help veterans with VA burial benefits?

Banister-Cooper Funeral Home offers specific services for veterans. The staff includes individuals who have served or are actively involved with veteran organizations, such as Ron Schott, a Vietnam War veteran and member of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1101 and the Patriot Guard Riders, whose obituary mentions his dedication to veterans.

Which faith traditions does Banister Funeral Home accommodate?

Staff coordinate services for Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Church of God, Free Will Baptist families, among others.

What sets Banister Funeral Home apart

Towns County's only locally owned funeral home.
Owner Tamela Cooper is a licensed funeral director/embalmer in Georgia and North Carolina, and the elected Towns County Coroner.
Offers a year of weekly grief messages for ongoing support.
Provides life celebrants for memorial services when clergy may not be chosen.
Staff members like Ken Nicholson have a long-standing history with the funeral home, having worked there since the early 1990s.

Military & veteran services offered

★Veterans Services

★Memorial Service

Burial & cremation services

Burial

· Graveside Service

Cremation

· Cremation Services
· Direct Cremation

On-site facilities

· On-site Chapel

Affiliations & specializations

Industry affiliations

· Hiawassee Downtown Development Authority
· Chamber of Commerce
· Towns County Emergency Management Agency
· National Funeral Director's Association
· Georgia Coroner's Association

Specializations

· Grief Support
· Children & Grief
· Pre-Planning

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Church of God, Free Will Baptist, Christian and Missionary Alliance. Languages spoken at the home: English.

EverSettled · After the Veteran Funeral

The veteran's spouse may qualify for VA Dependency & Indemnity Compensation.

DIC is a tax-free monthly benefit for surviving spouses, dependent children, and (in some cases) parents of veterans whose death is service-connected. EverSettled walks veteran families through DIC eligibility, survivor pension, life-insurance claims, probate, and the federal-account paperwork that follows.

Begin Veteran Estate Settlement

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.