Two state cemeteries, at Newton and Kilmichael, burying veterans, spouses, and dependent children at no cost. The one charge is for re-interment from another cemetery, and burials happen Monday through Friday only.
Also called: cemetery, burial, Newton, Kilmichael, 35-1-41, 35-1-43, no cost, re-interment, headstone, funeral honors, spouse.
For: Veteran or service member, spouse, child, survivor.
Mississippi Veterans Affairs runs two veterans memorial cemeteries. Newton is at 248 Honor Circle, Newton, MS 39345, (601) 683-2959. North Mississippi is at 2 Legion Road, Kilmichael, MS 39747, (662) 262-4232.
The cost rule is the thing to fix in mind. Veterans, spouses, and dependent children can be buried in a Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery at no cost, unless the burial involves re-interment from another cemetery. Free burial of a spouse is not universal among state veterans cemeteries; several states in this catalog charge a spouse plot and interment fee. Mississippi does not. The exception for re-interment is the one case to ask about pricing, and it comes up when a family is consolidating graves after a move.
VA supplies the grave marker. The cemeteries provide gravesite opening and closing, a committal shelter, supply and installation of the headstone or marker, and perpetual care.
Eligibility follows VA national cemetery standards: a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable from active duty, death while serving on active duty, honorable service in the National Guard or Reserves, or an ROTC cadet dying under honorable conditions. Spouses and dependent children are eligible, with children limited to unmarried children under 21, or under 23 if a full-time student, or a child with a lifelong disability that arose before age 21. The Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act of 2021 widened Guard and Reserve eligibility and applies here.
Scheduling, in the order it actually happens. Choose a funeral director, who can do most of this. Gather the DD-214 or other discharge documents for the veteran or servicemember whose eligibility will be determined, which must show a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable. Decide which cemetery, casket or cremation, the size of the casket or urn, and any religious emblem or optional inscription for the headstone. Then contact the cemetery office and fax the discharge papers.
One scheduling constraint families discover late: all burials at these cemeteries occur Monday through Friday. A weekend service is not available, which changes the planning for out-of-town family.
A funeral honor detail, with taps, a rifle detail, a color guard, and presentation of the burial flag, is available on request through Mississippi Veterans Affairs at (601) 576-4850.
There are also three VA national cemeteries in Mississippi. A family choosing between a state and a national cemetery should compare location and the specific eligibility of the person to be buried alongside the veteran, since the two systems apply the same core standards but administer plots and scheduling separately.
Thresholds
Thresholds for Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemeteries
Gate
Rule
Discharge under conditions other than dishonorable
Eligibility follows VA national cemetery standards: a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable from active duty, death while serving on active duty, honorable service in the National Guard or Reserves, or an ROTC cadet dying under honorable conditions. No disability rating is involved, so the rating filter never hides this benefit.
Spouses and dependent children at no cost
Spouses and dependent children are eligible for burial at no cost. Children are limited to unmarried children under 21, under 23 if a full-time student, or a child with a lifelong disability that arose before age 21.
Re-interment from another cemetery is the one charge
Burial is at no cost unless it involves re-interment from another cemetery. Ask the cemetery office about that case before committing to a consolidation of graves.
Documents the source lists
What the official source lists for an application, and where to get each document. It is a reference read from the source, not a full list of what the office may ask for; check with the office or an accredited representative before you apply. Needed means the source asks for it; Helps means the source calls it optional or says it speeds things up.
Out of date, a broken link, or something else wrong? Say what you found, and an editor checks it against the official source.
Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.