HORSE CAVE James Kenneth Bale, 78, of Horse Cave died at 2:20 a.m. Sept. 9, 2003, at his home.The Horse Cave native was a businessman in the oil, tobacco, tourism, coal mining, real estate development and banking industries. He was owner and C.E.O. of South Central banks in Monroe, Barren, Warren, Metcalfe, Hardin, Daviess and Simpson counties, Bale of Kentucky Inc., Farmers Investment Company, U.S. Coal Inc., Bale Oil Company Inc., Kentucky Tobacco Sales, Bale Farms, Travelodge Hotel, Bale Tobacco Marketing Inc. and New River Processing Inc. He served on various boards and civic organizations, including the Burley Tobacco Warehouse Association, Cave City Convention Center, Thurston Morton Sons of American Revolution, was co-founder of the Barren County Y.M.C.A., Capital Hill Club of Washington, D.C., Western Kentucky University Presidents Club and Foundations board and various Chambers of Commerce. He was a son of the late Lester Damon Bale I and Bertha Scott Bale and the husband of the late Nell Sissy OBryan Bale. He was preceded in death by a son, James Kenneth Kenny Bale Jr.; a daughter, Anne Isabella Bale; and a brother, Lyndon Bale.Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Our Lady of the Caves Catholic Church, where he was a member, with burial in Horse Cave Municipal Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at Winn Funeral Home and will begin after 8 a.m. Friday at the church. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to T.J. Samson Community Hospital Hospice Organization, the American Cancer Society, Diabetes Foundation and Arthritis Foundation.Survivors include three sons, William Billy Martin OBryan and his wife, Becky Bale, of LaFollette, Tenn., Lester Damon and his wife, Carrie Bale II, of Horse Cave and Thomas Tommy Medley and his wife, Vickie Bale, of Cave City; two daughters, Ruth Ruthie Helen OBryan Bale of Bowling Green and Ellen Lee Bale of Glasgow; a sister, Faye Bale Mann and her husband, Henry Mann, of Lakeside Park; 15 grandchildren, James Clifford Cliff and his wife, Rhonda Kennedy, Nell OBryan Nellie and her husband, Jamie Woodyard, Ruth Ellen Medley Borders, Helen Medley Borders, William OBryan Bryan Bale, James Kenneth Kenny and his wife, Selina Bale II, Casey Lee Bale, Anne Isabella Bale Gentry, Susan Lee Bale Gentry and her husband, Paul LeSage, Marjorie Lynne Bale Gentry, Lester Damon Les and his wife, Lisa Bale II, Benjamin Pleasant Ben Bale, Thomas Medley Bale, Kenneth Grant Bale and Michael Scott Bale; and six great-grandchildren, Whitley Faye Hope Kennedy, Ruth Medley Kennedy, Clinton Arthur Falls, Kenley Jaye Dallie Woodyard, Kayden James OBryan Woodyard and Taylor Lee Bale.