PEACOCK MARKETING - Key Persons

John C. Koch began the St. Louis Wilbert Vault Co. on May 13, 1934 and ran the company until his death in April of 1953. In April 1953, Mr. Koch's wife Barbara and their son John took charge of the business. On January 31, 1957, Mrs. Koch sold the stock to American Wilbert Vault Corporation of Forest Park, Illinois.

Richard "Dick" Reichle, a well-established and integral part of the Wilbert family, became a sales representative for American Wilbert in Chicago, Illinois in 1945. He became President of Americal Wilbert upon the retirement of Wilbert Haas in July 1946. Mr. Reichle purchased St. Louis Wilbert from Mrs. Koch in January 1957. At this time the business was operated by Earl and Grace Stensto who both worked for Mr. Reichle at American Wilbert in Chicago, Illinois. They moved to St. Louis to run both St. Louis Wilbert Vault and New Baden Wilbert Vault. Earl Stensto died on July 4, 1971 of a fatal heart attack . Mrs. Grace Stensto continued to run both companies. Mr. Reichle's son, Richard Reichle, Jr. moved to St. Louis in 1972 and assisted Grace Stensto. She semi-retired in 1984, and Richard Reichle assumed the role of President of St. Louis Wilbert Vault Co. and New Baden Wilbert Vault. Mrs. Stensto officially retired in 1987. Steven M. Bush began his relationship with the funeral industry as a gravedigger in a local Quincy, Illinois cemetery. He became interested in the vault business and in 1981 Steve Bush purchased the Western Illinois territory and established Quincy Wilbert Vault as a Wilbert licensee. Mr. Bush started the Quincy, Illinois franchise with one truck and four vault forms. In 1984 he built the current Wilbert plant in Quincy and added a crematory in 1993. In 1995, as Richard Reichle, Jr. was looking toward retirement, he offered Mr. Bush a position as the general manager. Steve accepted on the condition that he would purchase the St. Louis, Missouri and New Baden, Illinois licensees when Mr. Reichle retired. In Feburary 1999, after three and one-half years as general manager, Steve became the owner of St. Louis Wilbert Vault and New Baden Wilbert Vault. In 2005, the New Baden, Illinois plant was consolidated with St. Louis Wilbert Vault Co. The plant location in St. Louis is a 35,000 square foot plant and office with a fleet of 20 trucks. Mr. Bush was a District Director and Board Member of the Wilbert Manufacturer's Association from 1996 to 2002. He served as President of the Wilbert Manufacturer's Association from 1999 - 2000. He was elected to the Wilbert, Inc. Board of Directors in 2007. In 2008 Wilbert, Inc. split into two companies, the plastics company and the funeral services company (Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc.). Steve was elected to the Board of Directors of Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. in 2008 and served as a Board Member until 2011.