Iowa Veterans Cemetery

When a veteran dies, the family often faces a tangled mix of grief, paperwork, and expenses they weren't prepared for. One benefit that goes underutilized — largely because people don't know the details — is the Iowa Veterans Cemetery, a state-operated burial ground near Van Meter in Dallas County that provides free interment for eligible veterans.

This post covers exactly who qualifies, what the state covers at no cost, what fees apply for non-veteran family members, what documents you'll need, and how burial at this cemetery intersects with federal VA burial benefits.

Where Is the Iowa Veterans Cemetery?

The Iowa Veterans Cemetery is located near Van Meter (sometimes listed as Adel), in Dallas County — roughly 20 miles west of Des Moines. It is a state-operated facility, distinct from the federal national cemeteries managed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. That distinction matters because eligibility rules, fees, and administrative contacts differ depending on which system you're working with.

Who Is Eligible for Burial at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery?

Eligibility for the veteran themselves requires one of the following:

• Active duty service with a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable
• Service of at least 20 years in the National Guard or Reserve components

Spouses and dependent children of eligible veterans may also be interred at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery. However, unlike the veteran's burial, there is an assessed fee for non-veteran family members — currently $300 per interment. This fee is used to fund ongoing infrastructure expansion of the cemetery grounds rather than as a revenue source.

Veterans who were dishonorably discharged are not eligible, regardless of length of service.

What Does the Iowa Veterans Cemetery Provide at No Cost to the Veteran?

For the eligible veteran, the following are provided at no cost:

• The gravesite itself
• Opening and closing of the grave
• Perpetual care of the burial site
• A government-issued headstone or grave marker

The state cemetery does not charge a burial fee, a plot purchase fee, or a headstone fee for the eligible veteran. This is a meaningful financial benefit — conventional cemetery costs in Iowa for these same items can run several thousand dollars even before funeral home service charges.

Federal VA Burial Benefits: A Separate Layer

The Iowa Veterans Cemetery is a state facility, but eligible veterans may also qualify for federal VA burial benefits on top of what the state provides. These are separate programs administered through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Federal burial benefits for veterans who die of a non-service-connected cause include an allowance toward burial and funeral expenses, as well as a separate plot or interment allowance if burial is not in a national cemetery. Service-connected deaths trigger a higher burial allowance. These allowances are not automatic — a claim must be filed with the VA using VA Form 21P-530 (Application for Burial Benefits).

If burial is at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery (a state veterans cemetery), the plot allowance from the federal VA may still apply. Contact the VA directly or speak with an accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) to confirm what the family can claim given the specific circumstances.

Required Documents

The most important document for establishing eligibility is the DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty). Without it, the cemetery cannot verify the veteran's service. Families who cannot locate the DD-214 can request a copy through the National Archives' eVetRecs system — this takes time, so it's worth requesting the document well before death if planning ahead.

For National Guard or Reserve veterans relying on the 20-year service threshold, documentation of qualifying service years will also be required.

Additional documentation needed for the burial application typically includes:

• The veteran's death certificate
• Social Security number of the veteran
• For dependent family members: proof of relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificate)

Planning Ahead: Why the Chapter 144C Declaration Matters

Burial location is a funeral arrangement decision governed by Iowa Code Chapter 144C — the Final Disposition Act. This means the person with legal authority to make burial decisions for the veteran is not necessarily whoever the veteran verbally told about their wishes. Without a properly executed Declaration of Designee attached to a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, control defaults to the surviving spouse, then to adult children by majority, and so on down the statutory hierarchy.

If a veteran wants to ensure they are buried at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery — and not somewhere else — that wish needs to be legally documented under Chapter 144C, not just stated in a will. The Iowa Supreme Court has confirmed that will instructions about burial do not override the Chapter 144C hierarchy.

The Iowa Funeral Laws & Consumer Rights Guide includes a plain-language walkthrough of how to execute a valid Chapter 144C declaration to lock in burial wishes — an important step for any veteran who has strong preferences about where and how they're interred.

What the Iowa Veterans Cemetery Does Not Cover

The cemetery provides the plot, opening and closing, perpetual care, and headstone for the veteran. It does not provide or pay for:

• Transportation of remains to the cemetery
• Funeral home services (preparation, visitation, services)
• Cremation costs (if the veteran chooses cremation before interment)
• The $300 interment fee for eligible spouses or dependent children

For veterans who choose cremation, the cremated remains can be placed in the cemetery's columbarium. The Iowa Veterans Cemetery has columbarium niches available for the placement of cremated remains, which is an option for veterans (and in some cases their spouses) who prefer cremation over in-ground burial.

Common Questions

Can a veteran from another state be buried at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery? The Iowa Veterans Cemetery is primarily for Iowa residents. Out-of-state veterans are generally not eligible unless there are specific circumstances. Federal national cemeteries (such as Rock Island National Cemetery in Illinois, which serves many Iowa families) have broader eligibility for veterans regardless of state residency.

Does the family need to work through a funeral home? The Iowa Veterans Cemetery coordinates with funeral homes and cremation providers, but the family is not legally required to use any specific funeral home. Iowa law does not require a funeral director for home funerals, though working with a licensed funeral director simplifies logistics like obtaining burial-transit permits and coordinating scheduling with the cemetery.

Is there a waiting list? State veterans cemeteries do not operate on the same time-sensitive availability as municipal cemeteries. Contact the cemetery administration directly to confirm current availability and scheduling procedures.

How the Iowa Veterans Cemetery Fits the Bigger Picture

Burial at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery is one piece of a larger set of death benefits and administrative steps that happen after a veteran dies. Families will also need to notify IPERS (if applicable), claim any workers' compensation survivor benefits, address VA pension or disability payments, and navigate the estate process — which in Iowa can range from a simple small estate affidavit to full probate depending on the assets involved.

The Iowa Funeral Laws & Consumer Rights Guide covers the full post-death checklist for Iowa families, including how to coordinate burial benefits, meet statutory deadlines, and avoid the most common and costly administrative mistakes.

Securing the Iowa Veterans Cemetery burial benefit is a relatively straightforward process once you know the eligibility rules and have the right documents. The DD-214 is the linchpin — if that document isn't already on file at home, requesting it now is the single most important step a veteran or their family can take.

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