Our History
It was January 29th, 1910 – over a century ago – when Frank H. Bailey opened the doors to Bailey Mortuary for the first time.
Mr. Bailey, a native of Huntington County, was born in 1877 to John B. and Mary C. Wise Bailey. He was educated in the county schools and went on to receive his license in funeral service. Frank served in firms around the area until he launched his own business in 1910. He was the first to open a 'funeral home' in the city, having purchased the Dr. J. M. Hicks residence on West Park Drive for that purpose.
It was thirty years later, in 1940, when Frank and his son, Carl, built the new, state-of-the-art Bailey Mortuary. We are located in the same building to this day.
Frank passed away unexpectedly in 1952. His duties in the firm were taken over by his son, Carl, who retired as owner of Bailey Mortuary in 1984.
Much like his father, Carl was very active in service organizations and within the musical community here in Huntington.
His extensive community service in the Masonic Amity Lodge 483 F & AM and the Scottish Rite Temples earned him the 50-year Award of Gold in 1993. He was also a proud member of the former Elks Lodge, the Moose Lodge 837, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2689. He served his country as a Colonel in the Army during WWII.
Since 1990, when Christopher B. Love & family purchased the mortuary, it has undergone several renovations to make sure that our facility is large, attractive, and welcoming.
Today, amid all of the large, conglomerate funeral homes today, we remain a family-owned and family-operated mortuary. We work closely with our families to make things as easy as possible for them. There is never any pressure; families make all the decisions based upon their needs and their finances. We certainly do not want you to spend anymore than your pockets can afford.
Our promise to you is a simple one. We’ll help you create a ceremony that is meaningful and completely affordable. Whether burial and/or cremation, our staff can take care of all the arrangements, relieving you of unnecessary burdens.
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Don Adkins Funeral Director/Owner/Pre-Need Advisor
Don brings his extensive experience in funeral service to the Bailey-Love Mortuary, helping us to serve Andrews, Huntington, Roanoke and surrounding communities. “I am glad that Bailey-Love Mortuary has chosen to remain independent of consolidators and remain locally-owned and family-operated for over 110 years. I feel I can personally serve families better through a funeral firm which its owners have stayed strongly active with Huntington and the surrounding communities. I share their philosophy of funeral service; to serve each family with dignity, integrity, and neighborly understanding.” Don is available for those persons wishing to establish pre-arrangement plans, and those who wish to transfer their plans to us at Bailey-Love Mortuary. Cost comparisons are most welcome as well as no obligation consultations. He can be reached at Bailey-Love Mortuary, (260)356-1710.
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Amanda Adkins Owner / Pre-Need Advisor / Aftercare Coordinator
Amanda Adkins was born in Huntington to the late Larry Dillon and Nancy (Reese) Dillon and grew up in northern Whitley County on Loon Lake. Amanda felt with her own personal losses at a young age there was a mission to serve others. After working in the corporate world for 20+ years in Sales and Marketing, Amanda wanted to focus on supporting others during life’s most difficult moments. In 2020 Amanda and her husband Don were blessed to take over ownership of Bailey-Love Mortuary as partners. Amanda works directly with families at their time of loss and assists with any aftercare needs. Amanda, like so many others, understands that grief never goes away completely. Amanda and Don have two children, Skylar, and Spencer. Skylar joined the family business in 2021 after graduating from the University of Indianapolis in Finance, she is currently studying Mortuary Science at Vincennes University. Spencer is attending Indiana University/Kelley School of Business pursuing his degree in Business Management with a minor in Sports Marketing & Management.
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Jeff Wilson Funeral Director / Monument Specialist
Jeff was born and raised in Peru, IN, while attending High School realized that he wanted to be a Funeral Director. To assist with college tuition, after graduating from Peru High School, Jeff joined the US Army and served from January 1986 – October 1989. He worked as a Military Policeman in Panama, and then was assigned to work as a Prison Guard at the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Ft. Leavenworth, KS. Once his military obligation was completed, Jeff started Mortuary College at Mid-America College of Funeral Service in Jeffersonville, IN, and graduated in 1993. He then worked as a Funeral Director in the Ft. Wayne/Huntington area from 1993 – 2003, then moved to Florida to be closer to his sisters. Jeff returned to Huntington to work as a Funeral Director in September of 2020 once his longtime friend Don Adkins and his wife purchased Baily Love Mortuary. Jeff is the Monument Specialist at Bailey-Love and works with each family on personalizing their headstones. Jeff has 3 children, Jeremiah, Joslyn, and Jalen Wilson. When not working, he enjoys fishing and photography.
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Skylar Zickafoose Licensed Pre-Need Agent
Skylar Zickafoose joined the Bailey-Love team in May of 2021. Skylar is a Whitley County native, with family ties to Huntington County. She graduated from Columbia City High School with the class of 2018, then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in finance at the University of Indianapolis. She is currently enrolled in the Funeral Director program at Vincennes University. Skylar is our Licensed Pre-Need Agent; she assists clients with planning their future funeral services to best align with their final wishes. If you would like to set up an appointment to learn more about our pre-planning options, please call Skylar today at (260) 356 – 1710.
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Rose Wall Preneed Advisor
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Dawn Hinthorn Administrative Services / Veterans Benefit Specialist
Dawn Smith- Hinthorn is honored to serve as the Office Manager for Bailey-Love Mortuary since February 2022. Dawn was born and raised in Huntington and graduated from Huntington North High School and Huntington College. She taught vocal music for the Whitko Community Schools in South Whitley, IN for 32 years before retiring in 2021. Dawn and her husband, Douglas, have two children, Jessica and Branden who both have families of their own. Dawn enjoys the many duties of the office and the opportunity to work with families.
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Steven Caley Support Staff
Steve was born and raised in Huntington, IN. Steve has been here at Bailey-Love Mortuary since 2020. He graduated from Huntington North High School and went on to receive his nursing degree from Purdue University. Prior to retirement, he worked as a RN Paramedic at Parkview Hospital here in Huntington, IN. Steve is one of the original members of the Huntington County Rescue. He also served as a reserve deputy for 28 years with the Huntington County Sheriff’s Department. Steve is married to Tammy Caley, they have 4 children, 15 grandchildren, and 1 great grandchild.
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Bruce Lemar Support Staff
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Larry Leyman Support Staff
Larry has been working here at Bailey-Love Mortuary since March of 2022. He was raised in Uniondale, IN. and has since been living in Wells County. Larry retired from Wayne Metals LLC after 46+ years back in January 2021. Larry has been married to his wife Pam Leyman for 34 years. Together, they have 3 daughters, 1 son, 11 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.
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Doug Hinthorn Support Staff
Douglas Hinthorn finds great fulfillment serving as support staff for Bailey-Love since May of 2023. You will see him parking cars, opening doors, and many other behind-the-scenes jobs. Douglas was born and raised in Huntington and graduated from Huntington North High School, Huntington College, and Ball State University. He served as a School Counselor for the Huntington County Community Schools for 20 years before retiring in 2021. Douglas and his wife, Dawn, have two children, Jessica and Branden who both have families of their own.
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Steve Davidson Retired Dec 2023
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Christopher B. Love Retired in 2020
