Edwards Funeral Home

Veteran services at Edwards Funeral Home

Edwards Funeral Home, located in Fort Smith, AR, assists those who served and their families. In their own words: "Edwards Funeral Home offers specialized planning for veterans, including assistance with military funeral honors and resources for veterans' burials." On-site amenities include chapel and reception hall, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $4,495 for basic burial and $1,995 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include cremation, burial, and veterans planning. 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 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 Edwards Funeral Home: direct cremation from $2,885. That places direct cremation roughly 80% above the Arkansas median ($1,600). 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 Fort Smith National Cemetery in AR, approximately 1 miles from Edwards Funeral Home. Edwards Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Arkansas has approximately 385 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Edwards Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Edwards Funeral Home apart

• Three generations of family ownership and operation since 1933.
• Extensive specialization in a wide array of multicultural and religious funeral traditions, including Asian, Buddhist, Catholic, Hispanic, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Black, Qingming Festival, Chung Yeung Festival, and Día de los Muertos.
• Ability to conduct arrangements by phone or email, including electronic signatures, removing the need for an in-person visit.
• Offers catered events with customizable menus for receptions.
• Provides unique personalization options, such as themed receptions based on hobbies or interests, and a variety of memorial keepsakes like fingerprint jewelry and Memory Glass.
• Part of the Dignity Memorial Network, offering a 100% service guarantee.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Asian Funeral Traditions, Buddhist Funeral Traditions, Catholic Funeral Traditions, Hispanic Funeral Traditions, Qingming Festival, Hindu Funeral Traditions, Muslim Funeral Traditions, Christian Funeral Traditions, Jewish Funeral Traditions, Black Funeral Traditions, Chung Yeung Festival, Día de los Muertos. Languages spoken at the home: English, Spanish/Español, Vietnamese.

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.