Bailey Funeral Home

03/13/2026

To join the livestream broadcast of Richard's service, please select the link below. The livestream will commence at 10:55 A.M. Thursday, March 20, 2026, and will be archived for 90 days following the service for later viewing. https://together.oneroomstreaming.com/NN7G3R

Richard Conner, 58, of Simpson, passed away on Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 6:49 pm at the Ray & Kay Eckstein Hospice Care Center in Paducah, Kentucky.

Richard was born February 4, 1968 at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia the son of Leslie T. and Laura Sue (Stevenson) Conner.

Richard was a 1986 graduate of Vienna High School. Graduated from SIU in 1991 with a Bachelor degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry.

He briefly worked in the orthopedic department at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky. Richard had worked for many years as a Bio-Med Tech. Most recently working for Fresenius Medical Care in Metropolis and Paducah southside location.

Richard was of the Baptist faith and enjoyed spending time reading and computer gaming.

He is survived by his Brothers and Sisters – Laura Susan Finstad, Sandi (Steve) Odum, Cathrine Conner, Tracy (Jim) McHugh, Ted (Susie) Conner, William (Linda) Conner, Jonathan (Rebecca) Conner, and Christopher (Catherine) Conner. Many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and cousins. Richard is preceded in death by his Parents, brother-in-law Ray and nephew Justin.

Funeral services will be conducted, Friday, March 20, 2026 at 11 am. at Bailey Funeral Home. Pastor Ken Sharp will officiate.

Burial will be in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, north of Vienna.

Visitation will be Thursday evening, March 19, 2026 from 5 – 8 pm and on Friday from 10 am until the service hour at 11 am at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to The American Kidney Fund, 11921 Rockville Pike, Suite 300, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

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03/13/2026

🐾 K9 Veterans Day 🐾
Today we pause to honor the courageous K9 veterans who have faithfully served alongside our nation’s military members. These highly trained dogs have protected lives, provided comfort, detected danger, and stood bravely beside their handlers in some of the most challenging circumstances.
Their loyalty knows no limits. Their service knows no hesitation. Their sacrifice deserves our deepest gratitude.
At Bailey Funeral Home, we are honored to serve families of all veterans — including those whose lives were forever impacted by the dedication and companionship of military working dogs. Today, we remember and recognize every hero, on two legs and four.
Thank you to all who have served.

03/11/2026

🕊️ National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day 🕊️
Today we proudly recognize the heart behind Bailey Funeral Home — Brian Bailey.
For years, Brian has served families in our community with compassion, integrity, and a steady hand during life’s most difficult moments. Being a funeral director is more than a profession — it is a calling. It requires long hours, quiet strength, attention to detail, and a genuine commitment to honoring every life as unique and meaningful.
We are grateful for Brian’s leadership and the example he sets each day — guiding families with care, supporting our staff, and living out our motto, “Our Family Serving Yours.” 🤍
And as the years continue, we look forward to the day when we can proudly share this spotlight even more — recognizing not only Brian, but also Katelyn Bailey and Mary Brown, as they continue carrying forward the tradition of compassionate service to the families we are honored to serve.
Please join us in thanking Brian for his dedication to our community.
📍 Bailey Funeral Home

03/09/2026

✨ Quick Tip for Pre-Planning ✨
If you’ve been putting off pre-arranging because it feels overwhelming, we want you to know something important:
It doesn’t all have to be done in one appointment.
Pre-planning can feel like a big task when you think you have to make every decision at once. But at Bailey Funeral Home, we are happy to break the process down into smaller, more comfortable meetings.
We can:
✔️ Meet once to simply talk and gather information
✔️ Schedule another time to discuss service details
✔️ Meet again to review merchandise or finalize paperwork
✔️ Take as much time as you need — with no pressure
Planning ahead is meant to bring peace of mind, not stress. By splitting appointments into manageable steps, many families find it much easier to begin — and once you start, it feels much more achievable.
If you’ve been procrastinating, consider this your gentle reminder: you don’t have to do it all in one go. We will meet with you as many times as you need or want.
Our family serving yours. 🕊️
📞 Call us anytime to schedule a time that works best for you.

03/07/2026

⏰ Before you head to bed tonight… don’t forget to set your clocks one hour ahead.
This Sunday at 2:00 AM, we “spring forward” and welcome longer, brighter days ahead. 🌷
While losing an hour of sleep isn’t always our favorite thing, the extra evening sunlight is a gentle reminder that new seasons bring renewal, warmth, and hope.
At Bailey Funeral Home, we are often reminded how precious time truly is. As you adjust your clocks, maybe take a moment to appreciate the time you have with the ones you love. 💛
Wishing everyone a smooth transition into the new season!
🌿 Bailey Funeral Home
Funerals as Unique as Your Life
📍 Vienna, Illinois
📞 618-658-2311

03/06/2026

❤️ Employee Appreciation Day ❤️
Today, we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible full-time staff of Bailey Funeral Home. These are the dedicated individuals who serve our families day in and day out — walking alongside you during life’s most difficult moments with compassion, professionalism, and heartfelt care.
From meeting with families and coordinating services to preparing arrangements and ensuring every detail is handled with dignity, their commitment truly reflects our motto: Our Family Serving Yours.
While this post highlights our full-time staff pictured here, we also want to extend a very special thank you to the gentlemen who work with us part-time. They are an essential part of our team, and we appreciate their willingness to serve whenever families need them.
It takes a team to provide the level of care our community deserves, and we are grateful for each and every one of them.
Please join us in thanking our staff for the compassion, strength, and dedication they show every single day. 🕊️

03/04/2026

Today we honor the sons who fill our lives with strength, laughter, loyalty, and love. 💙
On National Son’s Day, we reflect on the special bond between parents and their boys — from small hands wrapped around your finger to strong shoulders carrying life’s responsibilities.
At Bailey Funeral Home, we are reminded every single day that every gentleman who comes into our care was first someone’s son. Before he was a husband, father, grandfather, coworker, or friend — he was a little boy deeply loved by his family.
Families share stories of fishing trips, ballgames, hard work, quiet sacrifices, and proud moments that shaped a life well lived. Those memories become treasures that last far beyond a lifetime.
Whether your son is by your side today or lives on in your heart and memories, we hold space for that love with you.
A son’s legacy is written in the lessons he learns, the kindness he shows, and the love he gives.
Today, we celebrate sons — and the families who cherish them. 💙🕊️

03/02/2026

🗝️🕰️ National Old Stuff Day 🕰️🗝️
Today we’re celebrating the stories behind the “old stuff.”
At Bailey Funeral Home, we often see families bring meaningful treasures to a service — generational quilts stitched by hand, well-worn Bibles with notes in the margins, antique pocket watches, family photos, vintage tools, favorite dishes, or heirlooms passed down through decades.
To some, they may just look like “old things.”
To a family, they hold a lifetime of memories.
These pieces tell stories of love, hard work, faith, family traditions, and the quiet moments that shaped a life. A quilt isn’t just fabric — it’s comfort. An old key isn’t just metal — it may have opened the door to a first home. A pocket watch isn’t just timekeeping — it represents years of dedication and routine.
In the funeral profession, we have the privilege of helping families weave these meaningful items into a service that truly reflects their loved one’s life. Because honoring a life isn’t about what’s new — it’s about what mattered.
If you have a cherished heirloom that reminds you of someone you love, take a moment today to hold it, share its story, and remember the hands that once held it before you. 🤍
Funerals as Unique as Your Life.
Bailey Funeral Home
“Our Family Serving Yours” 🕊️

02/27/2026

Many of life’s most meaningful moments—loss, remembrance, legacy, and transition—also carry deep emotional weight and, at times, quiet stress. These experiences can be tender, overwhelming, and deeply personal. We invite you to pause and acknowledge that stress is a natural signal—and a signal we can honor and respond to with care.

Why Stress Matters

Stress isn’t just “feeling busy” or “overwhelmed” — it touches our bodies, minds, and relationships in profound ways. While a certain amount of stress can sharpen us, motivate us, help us meet change with intention, chronic or unacknowledged stress can erode our resilience, our health and our connection with others.

Stress can show up when we’re:
• caring for a loved one, navigating an illness or end-of-life journey
• honoring the memory of someone we love
• managing practical transitions (estate, logistics, family conversations)
• experiencing grief or unexpected change

Creating Space for Awareness

Taking time to notice stress allows us to better understand what we’re carrying and to choose gentle steps toward relief and restoration. Especially during times of transition, it’s important to remember that stress does not need to be silent, isolating, or carried alone.

Gentle Practices to Consider

If you or someone you care about feels the weight of stress, these small practices may help:

• Name the stressor. Pause and ask: What is one thing I feel pulled toward, worried about or unsettled by? Simply acknowledging it can help.
• Breathe and ground. Even 1–2 minutes of slow, intentional breathing (in through the nose and out through the mouth) can signal calm to the nervous system.
• Choose one small release. Maybe it’s stepping outside for fresh air, writing a short letter or note to someone, or lighting a candle for someone you love.
• Let rest be allowed. In our culture we often treat rest as “lazy” or “undeserved,” especially in times of caretaking or grief. But rest isn’t optional—it’s restorative. It is self-preservation.
• Speak the burden. Share your feelings with someone who cares about you. It can be as simple as saying, “I’m feeling more tired than usual." This helps eliminate the feeling of isolation.
• Remember: you’re not alone. Stress doesn’t have to be carried in silence. If you’re finding it hard to cope, talk with people you trust, and don't hesitate to reach out to a therapist or pastor if you need additional support.

How We Support You

At Bailey Funeral Home and also at Sacred Roots Therapy & Wellness, we understand that our services encompass not just the practical, but the emotional and spiritual realms as well. We’re here to assist you in those moments when the weight feels heavy, when legacy meets logistics, when grief meets memory.

A Gentle Invitation

Whether you find comfort in lighting a candle, pause in a still moment, or simply pause your breath and say, “I’m here, I’m feeling this”, know that you are stepping into connection—with yourself, with your community, with life’s deeper rhythms. Let stress become a messenger that brings you important cues about your own wellbeing. Let this day mark not just awareness, but the first step toward calm, strength and meaningful living.
If you’d like support, more resources, or a conversation, we’re here for you. Feel welcome to reach out.

Julie Bailey, LCPC
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
Sacred Roots Therapy & Wellness
Rooted in healing, growth, and transformation.

📧 julieabailey@hotmail.com

02/26/2026

To join the livestream broadcast of Tom's service, please select the link below. The livestream will commence at 12:55 P.M. Tuesday, March 3, 2026, and will be archived for 90 days following the service for later viewing.
https://together.oneroomstreaming.com/7PAVG7

Thomas E. Lively, age 76 years, a resident of Goreville and a former resident of Du Quoin, Illinois, passed away unexpectedly Wednesday evening, February 25, 2026, at 6:23 P.M. at Mercy Health-Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky.

Tom was born November 6, 1949 in Perry County Illinois. He was the son of Archie Thomas Lively and Jane Lee (LaBrier) Lively.

On April 18, 1980, Tom was united in marriage to Sandy D. Craig in New Madrid, Missouri. Together, Tom and Sandy have shared almost 46 years of marriage.

In addition to his beloved wife, Tom is survived by: 3 children – Shane (Amanda) Clark of Goreville, Illinois, Shanda Lively and Missy Ford both of Du Quoin, Illinois; 5 grandchildren – Shale Ray Clark, Elaina Grace Lively, Austin Ford, Dylan Ford, and Cameron Ford; 5 great grandchildren – Damian, Grayson, Jocelyn, Harland, and Kamara; a brother – Richard Odell (Pat) Lively and 2 sisters – Charlotte Keller and Minerva (Steve) Fred all of Du Quoin, Illinois; as well as a sister-in-law – Dianne Lively of Pinckneyville, Illinois; Tom also leaves his favorite baby dog – Smokey.

In addition to his parents, Tom was preceded in death by – a sister – Cheta VanBuskirk and a brother – Archie Kyle Lively.

Tom attended Du Quoin High School. He joined the U.S. Army in 1969. He served during the Vietnam War and was stationed in Germany where he operated a tank in the German-Czechoslovakian border area. He was honorably discharged from military service on June 29, 1971.
Tom was a member of the American Legion Post # 147 in Marion, Illinois.

Tom was employed for 52 years by General Cable in Du Quoin, prior to his retirement. He is, to date, the longest tenured employee of the firm and worked as an extruder operator and later in the die shop.

Tom was a faithful Christian and was ordained by Apostolic Truth, Inc. He has formerly served as assistant pastor at the Pentecostals of Lick Creek, as well as the Dongola United Pentecostal Church and the Anna United Pentecostal Church. More recently, Tom and Sandy worshipped at the First Pentecostal Church in Goreville.

Tom and Sandy enjoyed motorcycling and were members of the “Heaven’s Angels” motorcycle club. He also enjoyed vegetable gardening.

A worship service honoring the life of Tom Lively will be conducted Tuesday afternoon, March 3, 2026, at 1 P.M. at the First Pentecostal Church, 915 North Broadway, Goreville, Illinois. Pastor Kevin Cox and Pastor Dan McKinnies will officiate.

Burial will be in the Busby Chapel Cemetery. Military graveside honors will be accorded.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, March 3, 2026, from 11 A.M. until the funeral hour at 1 P.M. at the church.

Contributions may be directed to the family, for future memorial designation. Checks may be made to Sandy Lively and mailed in care of Bailey Funeral Home, P.O. Box 695, Vienna, Illinois. Contribution envelopes will also be available at the church on the day of the service.

To Share a memory of Thomas or to leave an online message of condolence for his family, please visit www.baileyfh.com

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02/25/2026

Today is Quiet Day.
In a world that often feels loud and fast, a quiet day invites us to slow down, breathe, and reflect. At our funeral home, we understand how meaningful moments of quietness can be—especially during times of loss.
Quiet moments give us space to remember, to feel, and to honor the lives of those we love. Whether you spend today in reflection, prayer, or peaceful remembrance, know that you are not alone. We are always here to provide comfort, support, and a listening ear when words feel hard to find.
🕊️ Take today gently.