Altoona
John Dukes
Owner and Operator
John leads Watts with a funeral director’s understanding and a personal commitment to listening to every family.
Read John’s story →
About Watts
Iowa roots. A family promise since 1957.
We listen first, then bring generations of knowledge and craftsmanship to every memorial entrusted to us.
Our story
Built here. Passed forward with care.
Keith and Bernice Watts founded Watts Vault & Monument Company in Montezuma in 1957. Their son and daughter-in-law, Craig and Lyndal Watts, took over in 1986, carrying forward a belief that quality work, fair value and careful listening belong together.
The company grew across Iowa through the purchase of Dude's Central Hawkeye Vault Company in West Des Moines in 1991 and E & D Vault in Chariton in 1995. In 1999, Watts built the 35,500-square-foot Des Moines manufacturing facility that remains our headquarters. An Iowa City location followed in 2004.
Watts also established the burial vault industry's first education center for funeral directors and pre-need staff in 1998. Today, our team supports more than 4,000 interments each year and offers granite and bronze memorials made to reflect families, traditions and lives lived.
After more than 20 years in death care, licensed funeral director John Dukes purchased Watts in 2019. The ownership changed, but the promise did not: serve Iowa families personally, stand behind the work and begin every memorial by listening.
Collective excellence
The people who will listen, guide and make it right.
Our work depends on people who understand both the craft and the weight of the decisions families bring through our doors.
Iowa City
Mark Cuddy
Monument Consultant
Mark brings a lifetime of death-care experience to helping families create personal, meaningful memorials.
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Des Moines
Angie Scheibel
Monument Consultant and Office Manager
A third-generation member of the Watts family, Angie brings lifelong knowledge of the business to every family she helps.
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Montezuma
Lori Bryan
Sales and Office Manager
Lori helps families choose a memorial with honesty, patience and the welcoming spirit of her Montezuma community.
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Des Moines
Sara Cooper
Operations Project Coordinator
Sara keeps the daily work moving while making sure every caller and visitor is met with warmth and understanding.
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Des Moines
Matt Johannes
Plant Supervisor
Matt brings more than 20 years of hands-on field experience to every vault and monument setting Watts completes.
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Iowa City
Brennan Walter
Memorial Specialist
Brennan helps families shape their ideas and memories into a lasting monument unique to the person they love.
Read Brennan’s story →A conversation is the first step