Business Details
23 Years
experience
Emergency
services
Trusted Funeral Services in Elmira, NY
Walter J. Kent Funeral Home was founded in 2003 as a family-owned and operated business serving Elmira, NY. Established as a lifelong dream of its founder, the funeral home transitioned to a father-son partnership in 2014, ensuring a second generation of personalized service. Our team specializes in comprehensive funeral arrangements, including traditional services, cremation, direct burial, and pre-planning, while adhering to all faiths and cultural traditions. We provide end-to-end support, from legal paperwork and death certificates to grief counseling and memorial merchandise. Our facility offers a comforting environment for visitations, ceremonies, and private gatherings, with 24/7 availability to assist families during their time of need.We handle transportation logistics, embalming, restoration, and coordination of floral arrangements, clergy services, and cemetery memorials. As a trusted local provider, we maintain partnerships for pre-planning and insurance services, ensuring transparency in pricing and compliance with state and federal regulations. Our commitment to excellence extends to veterans' services, with military honors coordinated through local honor guards and national programs.
Services
Traditional Funerals
Cremation Services
Direct Burial
Pre-Planning Services
Veterans Services
Green Funerals
Limousine Services
Cemetery Monuments
Grief Counseling
Memorial Merchandise
Details
- Year established: 2003
Highlights and features
- We have over 20 years of experience serving Elmira with personalized care.
- Our family-owned operation ensures community commitment and local expertise.
- We offer 24/7 availability for emergency funeral arrangements.
- We partner with FDIC-insured institutions for secure pre-planning options.
- Our veterans' services include military honors from local honor guards.
Services
Traditional Funerals
We offer comprehensive traditional funeral arrangements including visitation, private/public viewings, funeral services at our facility or churches, and graveside ceremonies. Our services include coordination of clergy, floral arrangements, and memorial merchandise such as caskets, urns, and customized funeral stationery. We provide personalized support for families choosing traditional religious or cultural ceremonies.
Cremation Services
Our cremation services include pre-cremation visitation, memorial services, and private ceremonies. We offer eco-friendly options for environmentally conscious families and provide a full range of cremation urns. Our staff handles all necessary permits and documentation while ensuring dignified treatment of remains throughout the process.
Direct Burial
We coordinate direct burials with local cemeteries, providing transportation, documentation, and alternative containers. Our package includes local transfer of remains, staff services, and basic transportation to the cemetery. Additional costs for cemetery plots or vaults are disclosed transparently, with no hidden fees included in our pricing.
Pre-Planning Services
Through our FDIC-insured partner PrePlan, families can arrange future funeral services to alleviate future decision-making burdens. We guide clients through legal documentation, service customization, and financial planning options to ensure their preferences are honored while providing peace of mind for loved ones.
Veterans Services
We specialize in veterans' funeral arrangements, coordinating military honors through local Chemung County Honor Guard, Vietnam Veterans of America, and Marine Corps League chapters. Our services include national cemetery referrals, flag presentation, and specialized support for families of active duty and honorably discharged service members.
Questions
What pre-planning options are available?
We partner with FDIC-insured PrePlan for secure funeral pre-planning options, allowing advance customization of services and financial arrangements to ensure your wishes are honored.
Do you offer veterans' benefits assistance?
Yes, we coordinate military honors through local honor guards and provide referrals to national cemetery association resources for eligible veterans and active-duty personnel.
What cremation packages do you offer?
Our cremation services include visitation options, memorial ceremonies, and eco-friendly caskets/urns. Pricing starts at $3,300 with transparent disclosure of additional costs.
Are green funeral options available?
Yes, we offer biodegradable caskets, urns, and environmentally friendly cemetery spaces for families seeking sustainable end-of-life arrangements.
How can I access grief counseling resources?
We provide referrals to local and national grief counseling services through our Resources for Families program, available both before and after funeral services.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept cash, credit cards, and work with funeral insurance providers. Cash advance items like cemetery fees are billed at cost with prior authorization.
Reviews (3)
Carlene Stone
Aug 21, 2021
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The way our family was treated at the funeral for FLOYD THOMAS death was very unprofessional when his own kids wasnt included or informed of any arrangements is very rude and unprofessional so i highley dont recommend using this funeral home if you want any closer on a death of a family member
Audrey Fox
Aug 14, 2021
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This funeral home is not family oriented at all its supposed to be a place for closure but if ur not the one paying them they dont care if u get the closer or not. I wouldnt recomend them for anything. The arguments that took place was all because I the child was shunned and not included in any of the aragements even tho i had reached out to mr kent many times. But as i stated because i wasnt the one paying or even made aware of the cost i wasnt good enough to be a part of my fathers funeral.
Elaine Washington
Oct 29, 2018
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First of all let me start out by saying Mr Kent, was awesome. With this being my first time planning a funeral Mr Kent was very helpful and answered all of our questions pretty much took care of everything. They are heart warming people, so they make you feel like your at home and not alone. They are professional, curtious and friendly. Thanks again Walter Kent Funeral Home for making it easier.
