Sentencing is set for Nov. 2 before U.S. District Judge Abdul Kallon. Hodges two children ages 11 and 13 were with Hodges and Burke throughout the entire ordeal. Eventually the group left the house with Stephens in a vehicle with Burke, and Hodges following in another vehicle with her two kids. a Elton B. Stephens Jr. remembers begging his father to build him a go-cart. 94, February 25, 2023, Baker McCullough Funeral Home. Summers were spent working for Butterick, selling subscriptions to that once-famous dress pattern makers magazine, and in 1930 Elton and five friends hitchhiked north to Michigan to sell subscriptions door-to-door all day. In 1937, by the time he was 26 years old, on May 28th, the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge opened to cars. Once at the suspects home, Stephens called his banker, a call which was recorded, and asked him to wire $250,000 to Hodges bank account. Burke was transferred to the Jefferson County Jail from a neighboring agency which was holding Burke for the feds Nov. 24 to attend court. Baker McCullough Funeral Home Danyse G. Edel Another Alabamian who has not been identified as a billionaire by Forbes -- long considered the leading authority on the topic -- is George Barber. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. His aggressive selling techniques translated well in the banking arena, and a decade later the banks assets had more than doubled, to $46 million, leading Elton to form the company known as Alabama Bancorp. Elton Stephens, age 71, of Tarrytown, died Thursday, January 21, 2021, in Meadows Health in Vidalia after an brief illness.  He was a native of Montgomery County, growing up in Mt. In 1995, by the time he was 84 years old, on May 19th, the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil - before 9/11 - took place in Oklahoma City. In 1986 he bought Fort Deposit Bank in Fort Deposit, Alabama, for $3.6 million; then, with $4.2 million about two-thirds of which was from him and his family- he started Highland Bank in Birmingham in 1988. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Stephens, then 75, was abducted in the morning hours of Sept. 11, 2020, from a house he was renting from fellow businessman and philanthropist George Barber while he was waiting for his new house to be ready. Later questioned by authorities as to how she came up with that amount, Hodges replied, it sounded like a big number.. The Bureau had approximately 650 employees, including 441 Special Agents. Another decade and another career success later Elton announced that he would sell Alabama Bancorp and all its associated holdings, worth some $280 million, to Bancorp South. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to First United Methodist Church, 118 E. Morgan St., Wadesboro, NC 28170. Two people are behind bars after prominent Birmingham businessman Elton B. Stephens Jr. was kidnapped during a home invasion. Investigators were able to track down the suspects by obtaining GPS location information that was on Stephens phone. Elton Stephens's passing at the age of 71 on Thursday, January 21, 2021 has been publicly announced by Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home in Vidalia, GA .Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share mem Burke replied, Forever or just for today?, At one point, records state, Burke asked Stephens, How much life do you think you have left? Stephens replied, 10 years., Burke then said, I think you got 20 more, I think you do. Procha Patrice Williams was tragically struck and killed by a vehicle on Jan. 8 in Birmingham. He was released only after he wired $250,000 to a bank account of the alleged kidnappers. Elton China's passing at the age of 79 on Sunday, December 5, 2021 has been publicly announced by Stephens-Maree-Tracy Funeral Home in Walterboro, SC.Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share Advertisement. In fact, there are several potential billionaire Alabama residents, and because details about their private finances are not publicly available, it is next to impossible to verify just how much money they have. His success and wealth drove him to want to contribute to Birmingham and Alabama in ways that he felt would better the state, family and friends toldThe Birmingham News in a story about Stephens after his death. He was charged with obstruction of justice, failure to uphold laws, and the refusal to produce material subpoenaed by the committee. A graveside service will be at 11:00 am, Friday, March 8, 2019 at Hillcrest Cemetery, Lake Waccamaw, NC with Rev. He was a native of Montgomery County, growing up in Mt. Vernon, and was a 1968 graduate of Montgomery County High School. One of the vehicles belonged to Stephens but the detective said the suspects made him sign a $10 bill of sale for his truck. Hodges two children ages 11 and 13 were with Hodges and Burke throughout the entire ordeal. Vernon, and was a 1968 graduate of Montgomery County High School. Who are the richest Alabamians now that billionaire Marguerite Harbert has passed? After graduating from law school . 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. [2][6], Stephens was married to Alys Robinson. Survivors include his wife, Kathy Stephens of Tarrytown; two sisters, Claudette Stephens Drury and husband Kenneth of Fernandina Beach, Florida, and Jessie Cook and husband Kenneth of Kilgore, Texas; one brother, William Stephens of Gwinnett County; and several nieces and nephews. That led them to the location where Stephens had been taken. He was born on June 21, 1934 in Minster, Ohio to the late Frank & Rose (Jacobs) Meiring. He also sold an odd mix of newspapers, suits, sandwiches, and Cloverine Salve, thereby setting a pattern he would follow with EBSCO in the years to come; it would not seem odd to him that a company known for its printing and distribution capacities could also excel in the manufacture of fishing line. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. "The business is as much a part of the family as the family is part of the business," explains founder, 90-year-old Elton B. Stephens. [3], Stephens founded Military Service Co. in 1944, with US$5,000. Vernon where he lived until moving to . Surviving is a son, Charles Garry (Barbara) Stephens of Fuquay Varina, NC; grandson, James Edward (Madison Pace fianc) Stephens of Fuquay Varina, NC; a nephew, Albert M. (Carol) Kennedy of Schwenksville, PA; and a niece, Cecilia Kennedy (Donald) Mayall of Pennsburg, PA. 22 years longer than On the way to Remlap, the group stopped at a Full Moon Bar-B-Que drive-thru to get lunch. While many of those contributions resulted in Stephens' name or names being attached to projects (theAlys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center atUAB or the Elton B. Stephens Science Center at Birmingham-Southern College) most were made without any such lasting recognition. [5], Stephens died on February 5, 2005. James Stephens is the Chairman of EBSCO Industries. In a report published in 2014 by Forbes, the Stephens family was listed as one of the richest families in the country with an estimated net worth of $4 billion.. Burke and Hodges were arrested a few days later and charged with kidnapping. When you share, or just show that you care, the heart and has brown hair and blue eyes. 44 birth records, View Harbert is survived by three children, six grandchildren and three great-granddaughters, "plus many loving nieces and nephews," her obituary in the Birmingham News and AL.com reads. In 1924, at the age of just 13 years old, Elton was alive when J. Edgar Hoover, at the age of 29, was appointed the sixth director of the Bureau of Investigation by Calvin Coolidge (which later became the Federal Bureau of Investigation). Funeral Home website by. Tired of lenders who would refuse to lend against accounts receivable or not discuss long-term debt, he went looking for cheap banks in small towns, and purchased Citizens Bank in Leeds, Alabama, with $21 million in assets, for $2 million in borrowed funds and $600,000 of his own money. On December 14th, he succeeded. Elton Stephens believes anyone can successfully sell anything. Elton "Sonny" Meiring, age 88 of Celina, Ohio, formerly of Minster, died at 7:29 PM on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, St. Marys, Ohio. But it is highly likely that the Harberts will no longer be able to claim that the richest living Alabamian is a member of their privileged family tree. They were in the house for hours taking one of Stephens sports cars for a joy ride and making food in the kitchen before waking Stephens about 8:30 a.m. Burke was sentenced to 17 years in prison for kidnapping Elton B. Stephens Jr. last year, according to jail records. We share yesterday, to build meaningful connections today, and preserve for tomorrow. Soon after, along came an EBSCO publishing and bindery company to help keep the racks full of reading matter, and later a printing plant. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. Texas. AncientFaces is a place where our memories live. It was Elton and Jim who initiated EBSCO's $2.5 million contribution to the University of Alabama's capital campaign in 1995. Tommy Spina, attorney for Stephens, said Burke could face an additional five years in prison if convicted of escape. Stephens at some point asked kidnappers what it would take for them to leave him alone and Hodges replied, $400,000. [2] They also paid $15 million for the construction of the Elton B. Stephens Science Center on the campus of BirminghamSouthern College. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. After they left, he went to a friends home to call police. Elton Earl Stephens. "My children learned from an early age that if they wanted to eat, they had to work. Founder and chairman of the board of EBSCO Industries, Inc., Elton Bryson Stephens was born August 4, 1911, to parents Clara Stuckey and James Nelson Stephens in Clio, Alabama. To the present, it is the symbol of the City that is known throughout the world. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The city and state honored Stephens' support of civic projects by renaming the Red Mountain Expressway the "Elton B. Stephens Expressway" on Sept. 11, 1975. 2023 Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home. Stephens told Burke he was scaring him and asked Burke how much money it would take to leave him alone. Tebo was born October 27, 1929 in Tabor City, NC the son of the late Rozier Liston and Beulah Watts Stephens. Support worthwhile projects including but not limited to education, health, religion, needy, cultural arts, boys/girls clubs, law enforcement, conservation, nature, water resources. Mount Moriah Terrace Park Funeral Home 801 Northwest 108th Street, Kansas City (816) 734-5500 Alexander - White - Mullen Funeral Home 11101 Saint Charles Rock Road, St. Ann (314) 739-1133 Debo Funeral Home 833 Court Street, Fulton (573) 642-2211 Nunnelee Funeral Chapel 205 North Stoddard, Sikeston (573) 471-2242 memorial page for John Thomas Elton Stephens (26 Jun 1912-24 Nov 1966), Find a Grave Memorial ID 141627531, citing Worthy Cemetery, . Unlock the mysteries of your family history and explore the rich tapestry of your past with AncientFaces. Mr. Elton Stephens, age 71, of Tarrytown, died Thursday, January 21, 2021, in Meadows Health in Vidalia after an brief illness. A former employee of the Justice Department, Hoover accepted his new position on the proviso that the bureau was to be completely divorced from politics and that the director report only to the attorney general. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Did Elton serve in the military or did a war or conflict interfere with his life? Worthy Cemetery. Before passing away at the age of 93 in 2005, Stephens and his wife, who preceded him in death in 1996, spent the last few decades of their lives donating millions to charity, educational institutions, the arts and various civic causes. At one point, earlier testimony showed, Burke told Stephens if he did anything to make Hodges feel uncomfortable, it wont end well for you.. As a youngster, he would rise early to milk the familys cows, then bottle and sell the milk before school. Previous state court testimony indicated Stephens did not know his abductors. Roughly two hours of the abduction were recorded on Stephens sleep apnea app. Obituary. In 1995, he was approached by board members and asked to help re-establish the bankrupt ASO. According to records, Burke had charges with the state, which were dismissed after a court appearance on Friday. Matthew Amos Burke, 35, was released from the county lockup at 3:23 p.m. Friday. Stephens died on February 5, 2005. For the Stephens family, it all traces back to patriarch, the late Elton B. Stephens, and a $5,000 investment he made to start a business in 1944 along with his wife, Alys Robinson Stephens. That led them to the location where Stephens had been taken. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Mr. Elton Stephens, age 71, of Tarrytown, died Thursday, January 21, 2021, in Meadows Health in Vidalia after an briefillness. In Birmingham his name is perhaps most commonly associated with Barber Motor Sports Park and Museum, home to the world's largest collection of motorcycles, to which he has contributed tens of millions of dollars. Brooke joined EBSCO in. A memorial service will be held at a later date. LIONEL STEPHENS OBITUARY. Family and friends are coming together online to create a special keepsake. Elton Stephens believes anyone can successfully sell anything. we begin to Show & Tell who they were during particular moments in their lives. STEPHENS, ELTON BRYSON, was born August 4, 1911, and died February 5, 2005. Read more about the life story of Elton and share your memory. He was a loving husband and a faithful friend. TheAlabama State Council on the Arts presented Stephens with its Jonnie Dee Little Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 in recognition of his financial contributions in support of the arts. They were in the house for hours taking one of Stephens sports cars for a joy ride and making food in the kitchen before waking Stephens about 8:30 a.m. Matthew Amos Burke (Jefferson County Jail). He once tried to swap me a nickel for a dime saying it was bigger and had more value. Burke and Hodges also are charged in state court, where their cases are awaiting grand jury action. "Birmingham-Southern College: Elton B. Stephens Science Center", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elton_Bryson_Stephens_Sr.&oldid=1107106581, This page was last edited on 28 August 2022, at 05:35. Spina said he is confident Marshals or other law enforcement agencies will apprehend Burke if he does not surrender. The couple had four children: James T. Stephens, Jane Stephens Comer, Elton B. Stephens, Jr., and Dell Stephens Brooke. 04-March, 1:30 PM, First Baptist Richmond Hill, Glennville City Cemetery. Updated: November 11, 2011 . Memorials. View the profiles of people named Elton B. Stephens. 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