Veteran services at Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home
For veterans in Joliet, IL, Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home coordinates military honors and burial benefits. Staff help families secure VA burial benefits, request military honors, and coordinate with national or state veterans cemeteries.
Veteran-related services offered include cremation, memorial services, and online memorials. Each service is coordinated with the family and, where applicable, with the deceased's last unit or branch honor detail.
Published pricing at Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home: direct cremation from $2,605. That places direct cremation roughly 4% above the Illinois median ($2,495). 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 Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in IL, approximately 10 miles from Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home. Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.
Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home also accommodates Catholic traditions for veterans whose religious or cultural observance shapes the service. Military honors can be integrated into the family's tradition with no conflict — the honor detail observes the family's pace.
Illinois has approximately 1,192 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home is among them.
Frequently asked questions
What does a funeral at Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home cost for veteran families?
From its published general price list, direct cremation starts at $2,605. Eligible veterans can offset these costs with a VA burial allowance, and burial in a VA national cemetery is provided at no charge.
Where is Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home located, and can it coordinate a veterans cemetery burial?
Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home is located at 1500 Black Road in Joliet, IL. You can reach the home at (815) 744-4444. Staff can coordinate burial with nearby VA national and state veterans cemeteries.
What services does Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home offer veteran families?
Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home provides cremation, funeral services, memorial services, celebration of life, preplanning, and can arrange military funeral honors for eligible veterans.
Does Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home help veterans with VA burial benefits?
Blackburn-Giegerich-Sonntag Funeral Home assists veteran families with VA burial benefits, military funeral honors, and coordination with national and state veterans cemeteries. Eligible veterans may receive a burial allowance and a free government headstone.
Military & veteran services offered
Burial & cremation services
Cremation
- · Cremation
On-site facilities
Affiliations & specializations
Industry affiliations
- · Will County Funeral Services Association
- · Illinois Funeral Directors Association
- · National Funeral Directors Association
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 SettlementHow 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.