Pat Bailey and Robert "Bob" Bailey purchased funeral homes located in Springhill, Cotton Valley and Plain Dealing, Louisiana in 1957.  In 1963, Bob became ill and Pat became more active in the business.  In 1968, while two new funeral homes were under construction in El Dorado and Junction City, Arkansas, Bob passed away.

Pat Bailey was truly a self-made woman.  As a young girl growing up on a tobacco farm in North Carolina, she never dreamed that she would become director and sole owner of Bailey Mortuary. She believed that it was her purpose on earth to comfort families who had lost a loved one.  "You can see the hurt and sorrow in these families, and there is no amount of comfort that will take the pain away.  What we can do is to be respectful and professional."  Even so, Pat was often seen comforting people in a way that only she could - she always wanted the best for those she served.

Pat Bailey died in 2004 leaving her legacy to her three daughters; Joyce B. Neel, Wanda Kay B. Farrington, and Eloise B. Grant.  Eloise Grant passed away May 2008.  Joyce and Wanda Kay are continuing the legacy their parents began.  They feel they have enormous shoes to fill and they rely on their dedicated employees to carry professionalism, comfort and care to families.  This is what Pat Bailey would have wanted.