Souers-Cardaras Funeral Home

Veteran services at Souers-Cardaras Funeral Home

Souers-Cardaras Funeral Home, located in Nelsonville, OH, assists those who served and their families. In their own words: "Souers-Cardaras Funeral Home provides dedicated assistance to veterans and their families. This includes helping to acquire and complete necessary forms to obtain benefits specific to deceased veterans, such as information on burial and funeral services, headstones, burial flags, and Presidential Memorial Certificates. The team guides families through understanding qualification criteria and the process for receiving these benefits, including obtaining DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty)." On-site amenities include chapel, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $5,695 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 services, traditional burial, memorial service, graveside service, veteran services, and permanent memorialization. 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 Souers-Cardaras Funeral Home: direct cremation from $1,995. That places direct cremation roughly 3% below the Ohio median ($2,050). 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 Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery in WV, approximately 78 miles from Souers-Cardaras Funeral Home. Souers-Cardaras Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Ohio has approximately 1,266 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Souers-Cardaras Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Souers-Cardaras Funeral Home apart

• Operates from a historic 1954 building featuring original French doors and plaster light cornices, providing a distinctive setting.
• Offers a recently added family center with a large, adjoining kitchen for family gatherings and comfort.
• Provides 24/7 facility access for families needing immediate assistance.
• Multi-generational family ownership with Van and Pam Cardaras, both actively involved in daily operations and community leadership.
• Extensive community involvement by staff members in various local civic, healthcare, and fraternal organizations.
• Comprehensive veteran services, including assistance with benefit acquisition and paperwork.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Episcopal, United Methodist, Presbyterian, Mennonite.

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.