Welcome Arnett & Steele Funeral Home, Inc. to Selected

One of the founding fathers of the city of Pineville was Thomas Jefferson ‘T.J.’ Hoskins. He opened his general merchandise and undertaking establishment in 1867. N.T. Arnett purchased the business in 1902. In 1907, N.T. graduated from the Cincinnati College of Embalming, becoming the first licensed Embalmer and Funeral Director in the area. His son, Asher, soon joined the firm and was later joined by Robert ‘Bob’ Walden in 1953. N.T.’s daughter, Effie, partnered with Bob upon Asher’s death in 1973. Effie and Bob decided they were ready to retire in 1987, and eventually the funeral home was purchased by Julius ‘Jay’ M. Steele, Jr. and his wife, Mary, on January 1,1988. With the encouragement of the community, the name was changed to Arnett & Steele Funeral Home. Mary became so dedicated to funeral service she left her career as a registered nurse and became the first licensed female embalmer in the area.

In 1991, the Steeles decided they needed to build a new facility to better serve the community. For two years they toured funeral homes within a 300-mile radius, consulted with local ministers, families served and friends about what they wanted in their new funeral home. In December 1993, the dream came true, and the Arnett & Steele Funeral Home was officially welcomed into their new location. It is the first building in Bell County designed solely for use as a funeral home. In the spring of 2005, the funeral home opened the first crematory in the region, assuring the Bell County families that were now choosing cremation services, that their loved ones would never leave the direct care of the now named, Arnett & Steele Funeral Home and Cremation Center. In 2017, the Steele Family expanded once again, with owning and operating Arnett & Steele Valley Chapel in Harrogate, Tennessee.

Jay and Mary’s son, Jason, joined his parents in 1999 as a funeral director and embalmer. Their daughter, Margaret, retired in 2020 as a Forensic Analyst and Crime Scene Investigator, and she came home to work with the family and is now working towards her Funeral Directors license.

Community involvement is important to all members of the Steele family. Jay Steele has been the Bell County Coroner since 2011 and served on various boards throughout the county. Mary Steele was the first woman in the history of the Funeral Directors Association of Kentucky to serve as President, completing her term in 2013. Jason Steele has served on the Main Street Board, currently serving on the Funeral Directors Association of Kentucky Board, and Chief Deputy Coroner. Margaret Steele is a Boad Member of Main Street Pineville, whose focus is to revitalize downtown Pineville.

Please reach out to Jay to welcome him to membership.

Date : 8/26/2026