Sioux Falls gifts land for state veterans cemetery to expand

A cemetery for veterans on the north side of Sioux Falls will be expanding.

The city recently gifted 14 acres to the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs.  The land is adjacent to the original 60 acres the city donated for the construction of a state veterans cemetery. 

The cemetery was dedicated on Memorial Day 2021, and since then more than 400 veterans and their loved ones have been interred and more than 1,600 pre-burial applications have been submitted.

“Serving veterans and their families is a labor of love for the department’s team,” said Aaron Pollard, deputy secretary for Veterans Affairs.

“This extends to the mayor, the City Council and everyone in Sioux Falls that supports the cemetery and its mission. The gifting of this land is an affirmation that the city of Sioux Falls is committed to veterans and a deep partnership that exists with the state of South Dakota.”

The South Dakota Veterans Cemetery is the first federally funded, state-owned and -operated veterans cemetery in South Dakota and will provide burial options for more than 28,000 veterans and their eligible dependents. Burial options at the South Dakota Veterans Cemetery include traditional in-ground caskets, in-ground cremains, columbarium/niches and a scatter garden.

“Our community continues to show strong support for veterans through a variety of avenues — from supporting homeless veterans through the Veterans Community Project to recently hosting the National Veterans Golden Age Games,” Mayor Paul TenHaken said. “Thanks to the vision and collaboration of community leaders and officials, the South Dakota Veterans Cemetery (offers) a dignified final resting place for eligible veterans and their spouses.”