Newhard Funeral Home

Veteran services at Newhard Funeral Home

For veterans in Westville, IN, Newhard Funeral Home coordinates military honors and burial benefits. In their own words: "Newhard Funeral Home offers dedicated services for honoring veterans. This includes assistance with gathering military service information (such as branch rank, dates of enlistment and discharge, and war/conflict details) and navigating benefits for veterans' funeral arrangements." On-site amenities include ample parking and chapel (seats nearly 200 people), suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $5,575 for basic burial and $3,200 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include cremation services, burial services, immediate burial, memorial services, graveside services, and cemetery arrangements. 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 (seats nearly 200 people). 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 Newhard Funeral Home: direct cremation from $3,200. That places direct cremation roughly 39% above the Indiana median ($2,300). 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 64 miles from Newhard Funeral Home. Newhard Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Indiana has approximately 779 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Newhard Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Newhard Funeral Home apart

• Valparaiso's oldest privately owned funeral establishment (Bartholomew Funeral Home, part of Newhard Funeral Home).
• Dual locations in Westville and Valparaiso under unified ownership.
• Offers certified pre-planning consultations with Alice Kyle, a Certified Pre-Planning Consultant with over 20 years of experience, at no cost or obligation.
• Prepayment options are secured in a trust fund, protecting against inflation and price changes, and are transferable nationwide.
• Owner Michael Newhard and Licensed Funeral Director Charles Harris are deeply involved in various local community and civic organizations.
• Provides specific services for honoring veterans, including assistance with military service information and benefits.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Catholic.

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.