Former Preston-Hanley Home located on St. Mary's Street in Pekin

The Preston-Hanley Story

Many things have changed since 1934 when the late Clarence and Roland Preston established their funeral home on St. Mary Street in Pekin. In 1957, the operation was moved to the Ties Smith mansion. A large chapel was added, and the mansion was extensively remodeled.

On June 21, 1965 the Neale Hanley family purchased the business and has continued the tradition of "excellence in service." On January 20, 1973, we opened the Creve Coeur facility to expand our area of service.

Neale Hanley, Sr. has instilled the principles of integrity and hard work in his twin sons, Neale "Buster" Hanley II and Charles R. Hanley, who have followed in their father's footsteps by joining the family business. As members of the Illinois Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association, we know what it takes to gain a community's trust: it takes professionalism, dedication and commitment to our client families. Our success is due to our reputation for honest, unequaled service. As trusted friends, we will help you create a loving tribute to cherish.

Our Pekin home was remodeled in September 2001 with more handicap-accessible features and a new, spacious chapel. As part of their attention to detail, Preston-Hanley made sure that both the elderly and physically disabled would be able to gain access into the home more easily. The home, which is now ADA compliant, features an elevator for those who find steps difficult to manage. In addition, there is a new parking area to the north of the home, with a designated entrance and automated door system. Other new features include handicap-accessible restrooms with infant changing stations, a large lobby with a fireplace, and a chapel that is 2.5 times bigger than the previous main chapel. Designed to complement the charm of the home’s existing architecture, the new chapel ties in the “old” with the “new” to create an atmosphere that is both calming and comfortable.