Keith and Bernice Watts founded Watts Vault & Monument Company in 1957 in Montezuma, Iowa. Their son and daughter-in-law, Craig and Lyndal Watts took over ownership of the business in 1986. In June 1991, they expanded the operation with the purchase of Dude's Central Hawkeye Vault Company in West Des Moines, Iowa. In 1995, they also purchased E & D Vault of Chariton, Iowa. A new 35,500 square foot central manufacturing facility was built at 4920 NE Hubbell Avenue in Des Moines in 1999. We still maintain distribution and sales facilities in Montezuma and Chariton. The third generation is also very involved in the family business. Son, Scott manages the Des Moines operation.  Longtime employee Ed Jordan manages the Chariton facility. Daughter Angie, daughter-in-law Julie and Lyndal handle the daily business and monument sales at our Des Moines office. In March 1998, James Russell, a licensed funeral director, joined the company as Marketing and Education Director. With his help we implemented the first, if not the only, education center for funeral directors and pre-need staff in the burial vault industry. Watts' offers a complete line of burial and cremation products. Trigard, Doric, Eagle, and Clark Steel burial vaults are maintained in inventory to serve the needs of funeral directors throughout Iowa. As a retail monument company, our granite now comes from all over the world. We offer a wide selection of both granite and bronze memorials to families in all price ranges. In 2002, a complete line of bronze, copper, steel and wood Trigard Caskets were added. Sold only through funeral directors, we offer daily delivery to most customers. In January 2004, Lowell Coburn, a licensed funeral director, joined the company as a sales consultant for our Trigard Casket line. February 2004, we expanded to the east with the acquisition of a building in Iowa City to serve the Iowa City – Cedar Rapids area. There we have a facility, a large display of memorials and employees to help families when purchasing a memorial. We are very excited about the new additions to our company. With a very knowledgeable staff of employees, the company today handles over 4000 interments per year throughout Iowa. Our customers and the families they serve, remain key to our company. Service, quality products and a fair price are the backbone of this company!