Arnett & Steele's History
 In 1867, T.J. Hoskins opened his General Store and Undertaking Company in the original part of Pineville, what is now called the Narrows. Around the turn of the century, Mr. Hoskins retired and N.T. Arnett took over the operations of the store and the undertaking company. He later changed the name to N.T. Arnett & Son Department Store, Undertaking and Ambulance Service. Mr. Arnett was the first person in Bell County to attend Embalming College and graduated for the Cincinnati Embalming College in the Class of 1907. He brought the first motorized hearse into Bell County around 1913 by rail car. When Mr. Asher's son became active in the businesses he began adding appliances and other modern inventions to the store. In the early 1950's when Dude Partin retired, Bob Walden joined the staff as a licensed funeral director and embalmer. He later became a full partner and he and Asher Arnett closed down the department store and devoted all their professional energies to the funeral home and ambulance service.
Through the years, the Arnett Funeral Home had many firsts in the profession, the first embalming room, the first funeral chapel and had the first full service funeral home in Bell County.
In 1988, Jay and Mary Steele purchased the funeral home from Effie Arnett and Bob Walden, since purchasing the funeral home the Steele's have made many improvements. Mary was the first woman in Bell County to graduate from Mortuary School. They built the first building built from the ground up for a funeral home in Bell County and have implemented many programs including an aftercare program and have participated in the NFDA's Pursuit of Excellence since 1996 and were recently inducted into the NFDA Hall of Excellence. They are also members of the International Order of the Golden Rule and Southeastern Kentucky Funeral Directors Association.
In 1999, Jason Steele, their son joined them after graduation from Mid America College of Mortuary Science with a Degree in Mortuary Science.
They have a state-of-the art selection area, which includes caskets, vaults and a complete selection of cremation casket, urns and vaults. In 2005, to meet the growing demands for cremation, Arnett & Steele Funeral Home added a crematory to their facility.
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