History of Santeiu Vaults
In 2001, the Santeiu family expanded Southern Michigan Service to a second location in Royal Oak, MI to serve families in Oakland and Macomb Counties. At this time, the children of Mark and Tim started to join the family business. A few years later in 2006, Mark and Tim opened Faithful Companion Pet Cremation Services.
In 2019, Mark and Tim Santeiu decided to take two separate avenues. Tim Santeiu alongside his sons (Jason, Joe and Rick) operate the Faithful Companions, while Mark and his children (James, Amy and Chris) operate Santeiu Vaults and Southern Michigan Services.
In 2020, in the height of the COVID 19 pandemic, the Santeiu family purchased Serenity Crematory Services in Taylor Michigan to help serve the downriver communities in such a demanding time.
In 2023, The Santeiu family had an opportunity to acquire Detroit Wilbert Vault Company, expanding our product lines by offering both Trigard and Wilbert Vault products. As of 2023, Santeiu Vaults is proud to be the number three Trigard dealer in the country.
James, with his sister Amy and brother Chris, is now running day-to-day operations with General Manager, Matt Dziadzio, and the rest of the dedicated staff while Mark cares for his wife Denise(1952-2024).
While the times are changing, it is our goal at Santeiu Vaults, Southern Michigan Services, and Serenity Cremation Services to serve the communities of Metro Detroit and surrounding areas with great services and products. The Santeiu family, a known and trusted name in funeral service, has been providing families with peace of mind for over 50 years. We currently provide quality burial vaults for over 6300 families annually.
Our commitment to meet our clients' and families' specific needs led us to open and now operate the largest volume human crematory in the State of Michigan, providing over 13,000 dignified cremations annually.
Our staff is available 365 days a year to answer any questions regarding your burial vault or cremation needs, and our commitment remains to provide our customers with the Best Burial Vault and Cremation services available.
In January of 2024, the Santeiu family, seeing the need for Memorials in Detroit, launched Santeiu Memorials to give Funeral Homes more options in the Memorial Market while specializing in Last Day Lettering.
Areas Served
Santeiu Vaults of MI provides burial vaults and cremation urns to the following counties in Michigan: Oakland, Monroe, and Macomb, with the exception of the towns of Armada, Richmond, and Memphis; Wayne and that portion of Washtenaw lying east of Highway 23 excluding the Nie Funeral Home, Ann Arbor, and the city of Ann Arbor.
Contact Us
Services
Set Up
Wilbert offers two types of burial set ups, Wilbert Way (WW) and Above Ground with Lowering Device (AL). Both set ups consists of an above ground seal and a lowering device, also known as The Wilbert Way Lowering Device. The difference in the two set ups is in the placement of the vault and the vault cover during the funeral service.
Grass & Chairs
For those who are interested, grass and chairs are available as an additional service to families who would like a graveside service or an extra amenity at the burial site. Six pieces of grass and six folding chairs will typically cover a gravesite area and will be neatly arranged under the tents. Santeiu Vaults manages the delivery, setup, and removal of the grass and chairs
Tents
A 14x14 tent is set by Santeiu Vaults at the gravesite for funeral services. The tents cover the burial area and provide a comfortable place for families to gather during the funeral. At the end of the funeral, the tent is removed.
Nameplate
Nameplates give burial vaults a personalized touch. They are a standard feature of Monticello vaults and above. For an extra charge, nameplates can be added to the Monarch grave liners. The nameplate includes the name of the deceased and the birth and death dates..
Disinterment Services
Santeiu Vaults provides disinterment services. If it becomes necessary to move an interred vault from one location to another, we can assist with these services. We handle everything from locating the vault to relocating the vault to a new location. Please contact the office for a quote, and complete the form linked below.
CEM Disinterment Authorization and Release Form
Vault Transfer
Vault Transfer is a service available between Wilbert franchises and dealers. Santeiu Vaults utilizes a vault transfer service when a burial request has been made outside of the normal territory. The location of the cemetery is needed to determine the appropriate Wilbert franchise or dealer. Since the services offered by each Wilbert franchise vary, the franchises work together on a per burial basis to determine the services, such as tents, grass, chairs, and grave digging, that each franchise will provide for the burial.
First Responders
When a hero falls, Wilbert is there.
Our “Commemorating First Responders” program provides families of firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical personnel who have died in the line of duty with a tribute worthy of their valor and sacrifice.
At no charge to the family, Wilbert and our licensees donate a customized Wilbert Stainless Steel Triune® burial vault. If the choice is cremation, we offer a selection of four urns, as well as a Stainless Steel Triune urn vault for memorial tribute. If permitted, a WilbertWay® graveside service may also be included.
Join us as we help families honor heroic lives, sacrificed in valiant service to neighbor and community.
Contact your local funeral professional for more information.
Ultimate Service Provider
There are four service levels: Minimum Service, Basic Service, Premium Service, and Ultimate Service Provider. To be classified as an Ultimate Service Provider, one must receive at least 75 points out of 88 points; a higher score is attainable when bonus points are earned for exceptional achievements. Points are collected by category, including tents, chairs, greens, Wilbert Way, lowering device, vaults, employees, and trucks and delivery. Santeiu Vaults surpassed the 75 points needed to obtain Ultimate Service Provider.
