It’s the time of year when all Americans honor and remember our fallen heroes who served our country. If there’s anything we know about Beaver County families, it’s how patriotic they are! But for the family members and friends of these U.S. veterans, Memorial Day is especially meaningful. What once originated as Decoration Day, Memorial Day renews appreciation and spirit for American veterans who have died on the battlefield, and tradition holds that we decorate cemeteries and gravesites of veterans with flowers and American flags to honor their sacrifice.

At Simpson Funeral and Cremation Services, we make honoring our veterans a priority, and we wish to help you plan a respectful funeral. We want our veterans and their family members to know when it comes to memorializing a soldier’s life, he or she deserves only the best.

Most veterans know they can be buried in one of the 135 national cemeteries, with available space. In order to prepare, presenting your discharge papers are a very important part of establishing your eligibility in these cemeteries. However, many people want to be buried close to their family and friends in their hometown in a private cemetery. For those veterans with loved ones in Monaca, Rochester, or Beaver County, we have qualified staff members ready to plan a respectful military service for our local heroes.

During a military funeral service, military men and women will honor the veteran with a burial flag and Presidential Memorial Certificate. The burial flag is generally given to next of kin. The U.S. government will provide the headstone or marker, and some veterans are even entitled to burial allowances, meaning partial reimbursement of an eligible veteran’s burial and funeral costs.

An important step in planning a veteran’s funeral is choosing the best way to pay tribute to your loved one’s life. At Simpson Funeral and Cremation Services, we offer many special touches to help you personalize the service, such as memorial burials, custom headstones, limousine services, receptions, and more. If you choose to hold a reception, we have our Hospitality House located across the street, which gives family members a place to go in between services.  Simpson Funeral and Cremation Services proudly serves many military families from Monaca and Rochester and will be sure to inform you of all the benefits available.

We can help you through all these steps and find out exactly what you are entitled to while planning a funeral for a veteran. We work with wonderful families often and know the process well. For more information, you can go to http://www.va.gov, or call our funeral home at any time.