Eventually the group left the house with Stephens in a vehicle with Burke, and Hodges following in another vehicle with her two kids. A small-town boy, 11 Elton quickly learned the value of money. He kept asking me why didnt I want it, but I didnt fall for that one.. Hodges was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Biography ID: 75204441 . Elton was a truck driver and worked with Southeastern Paper in Vidalia until his recent retirement. 44 birth, 21 death, 3 marriage, 327 divorce, View Elton Earl Stephens. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Elton and Jim also contributed $15 million towards the $26 million Elton B. Stephens Science Center at Birmingham-Southern. Marston Bulow Stephens, age 96, of Bossier City, Louisiana passed away on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 surrounded by loving family. 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. Court records show Matthew Amos Burke, 34, and Tabatha Nicole Hodges, 33, are [] James Stephens is the Chairman of EBSCO Industries. can stop at any time. He is currently safe, and two suspects are in custody. Arrangements in Wadesboro are being handled by Leavitt Funeral Home. He died on January 21, 2006 at 72 years of age. He served four years in the U.S. Army and returned to Mt. The following summer, Elton B. Stephens assembled and coordinated a team of friends to assist him; and he learned that he was not only a good salesman, but also a good manager. Elton had continued selling subscriptions as he worked to complete his education, even hiring other students to work for him, including fellow Barbour County boy George Wallace, who would later become governor of Alabama. On July 1, Brooke retired as CEO of EBSCO Industries, replaced by Tim Collins, the former president of EBSCO Information Services. 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. 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. 1973, and has spent the past eight and a half years serving as President and CEO only the third President in EBSCO's 70- year history. All rights reserved. He is approximately 5'7 tall, 170 lbs. James Stephens, Elton Stephens, Jane Comer, Dell S Brooke - $4 billion. Memorials. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He was a native of Montgomery County, growing up in Mt. Stephens told Burke he was scaring him and asked Burke how much money it would take to leave him alone. 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. The man convicted federally of kidnapping Birmingham businessman Elton B. Stephens was released from the Jefferson County Jail because his state charges had been dismissed and jail officials had . All rights reserved (About Us). She was the first wife of Alabama governor George Wallace, whom she succeeded as governor because the Alabama constitution forbade consecutive terms. when he died at the age of 93. He was charged with obstruction of justice, failure to uphold laws, and the refusal to produce material subpoenaed by the committee. Updated: November 9, 2011 . Elton B. Stephens Jr. remembers begging his father to build him a go-cart. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Evans-Skipper Funeral Home - Donalsonville. The suspect asked Stephens, What are you doing my house? which startled and confused Stephens. Money said it was discovered around 3:30 p.m. Monday that Burke should have been held for transfer to federal prison, where he was to serve an already imposed sentence. Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Elton's lifetime. Sadly, Williams was pronounced dead at the scene. Once the money was deposited, the suspects drove Stephens back to his rental house. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama and is a graduate of Yale University and the Harvard Business School. The couple had four children: James T. Stephens, Jane Stephens Comer, Elton B. Stephens, Jr., and Dell Stephens Brooke. ELTON STEPHENS OBITUARY. If the Stephens name rings a bell for many Birmingham residents, it's probably due to the visible results of the philanthropic work the family has done over the decades. Burke was sentenced to 17 years in prison for kidnapping Elton B. Stephens Jr. last year, according to jail records. Brooke joined EBSCO in. Survivors include his wife, Kathy Stephens of Tarrytown; two sisters, Claudette Stephens Drury and husband Kenneth of Fernandina Beach, Florida, and Jessie Stephens Cook and husband Kenneth of Kilgore, Texas; one brother, William Stephens of Gwinnett County; and several nieces and nephews. "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. Share. 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. In fact, it has never actually been clear whether Harbert truly was the richest Alabamian, let alone the state's only billionaire. He was born July 22, 1949, in Fort Smith, Ark., to Oscar Louis Stephens and Patsy . Founded in 1944 by the late Elton B. Stephens, EBSCO Industries, Inc. has evolved into a global company with businesses in various industries, including Information Services, Outdoor Products . Find Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok profiles, images and more on IDCrawl - free people search website. Matthew Amos Burke, 35, pleaded guilty . The longtime Mountain Brook resident's passing at the age of 91 raises questions about who succeeds her as the richest person in the state, a messy quandary that may never have had as clear an answer as Forbes has long led many to believe. For years he has been referred to as a billionaire in news articles and other forums, but any definitive proof of the extent of high his net worth remains elusive. Elton R Stephens was born on October 8, 1933. We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Stephens told Burke he was scaring him and asked Burke how much money it would take to leave him alone. At one point, Stephens tried to jump out of the vehicle, but Burke pulled him back in by his shirt. Andrews said Elton and Alys Stephens helped establish some of the museum's best collections and all four of the Stephens children have continued to support the acquisition of new art. [5] His wife died in 1996. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Two people have been arrested and are being held in the Jefferson County Jail without bond following the kidnapping and release of prominent retired businessman Elton B. Stephens Jr. "Elton . At one point, Stephens tried to jump out of the vehicle, but Burke pulled him back in by his shirt. Funeral Home website by. 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. Authorities went there on Saturday, Sept. 12, and both Burke and Hodges were there. Dr. Sarah B. Kalish officiating. 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. Determining the richest person in the state is simply not an exact science. Online condolences may be made at www.leavittfh.com. "I was just obsessed with bicycles and motorcycles and cars." In short, he was all about anything with wheels. Investigators were able to track down the suspects by obtaining GPS location information that was on Stephens phone. Elton B. Stephens Scholarship Hannah Combs; Elton B. Stephens Scholarship Aundria Kurowski; 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. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in the book. But the former racecar driver is also undoubtedly one of the richest residents of Alabama, having succeeded his father at the helm of Barber's Dairy. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Mr. Elton Stephens, age 71, of Tarrytown, died Thursday, January 21, 2021, in Meadows Health in Vidalia after an brief illness. But just who will be the benefactor of her fortune remains unknown beyond her inner circle, as her will is not yet available for public perusal at Jefferson County Probate Court. Garry Drummond, the controversial current CEO of Drummond and one of only two Drummond heirs still living as of July 2013, reportedly owned all of the capital stock in the massive coal company by then, Bloomberg reported, citing a report by business research outfit Dun & Bradstreet Corp. "If that's correct, Garry Neil is a billionaire," Bloomberg wrote. and you'll be alerted when others do the same. Roughly two hours of the abduction were recorded on Stephens sleep apnea app. [7] They had two sons, Elton B. Stephens Jr. and James T. Stephens, and two daughters, Jane S. Comer and Dell S. The U.S. Eventually the group left the house with Stephens in a vehicle with Burke, and Hodges following in another vehicle with her two kids. At the time transfer from the neighboring agency, there was no documentation left to notify jail personnel that Burke had been sentenced by another court and was not to be released.. The suspect asked Stephens, What are you doing my house? which startled and confused Stephens. The state charges against Burke were dismissed Friday after a grand jury did not indict him. After they left, he went to a friends home to call police. Good healthy years, being successful in whatever it is you may choose to do, after this, as long as you do it right.. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 1892 - 1976. Share profits and protect the welfare and health of employees with a major catastrophic medical program. Vernon where he lived until . Mr. Elton Stephens, age 71, of Tarrytown, died Thursday, January 21, 2021, in Meadows Health in Vidalia after an brief illness. 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). Vernon where he lived until moving to Tarrytown in 1989.  Elton was a truck driver and worked with Southeastern Paper in Vidalia until his recent retirement.  He was a member and deacon of Voice of Grace Ministries in Vidalia.  He enjoyed fishing, camping, woodworking and tinkering.  He was a loving husband and a faithful friend.

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.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Voice of Grace Ministries, 1221 Orange St., Vidalia, GA 30474.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

. We have no idea how Forbes could have so wrongly made this estimate. There will be a service to celebrate his life at 2:00 pm, Thursday, March 7, 2019 at the First United Methodist Church, Wadesboro with the Rev. Previous state court testimony indicated Stephens whose family was ranked by Forbes magazine in 2014 as the 66th wealthiest in America - did not know his abductors. He once tried to swap me a nickel for a dime saying it was bigger and had more value. Marshals are now searching for Burke after they became aware Monday that Burke was no longer in custody, U.S. In 1998, Barber sold the dairy company--which had sales of more than $200 million per year at the time--to Dean Foods Company, and he has since turned his focustothe motorcycle museum and other pursuits. and has brown hair and blue eyes. There will be a service to celebrate his life at 2:00 pm, Thursday, March 7, 2019 at the First United Methodist Church, Wadesboro with the Rev. He was a loving husband and a faithful friend. After graduating from law school . [2][4][5] The company sold magazine subscriptions to the United States Army. He was released only after he wired $250,000 to a bank account of the alleged kidnappers. Mr. Elton China, life journey began on Wednesday, October 7, 1942, born to the late Mr. James and Mrs. Carrie China to a large family of ten siblings. Elton B. Stephens Jr., whose father founded EBSCO Industries in 1944, was kidnapped at 7 a.m. on Sept. 11 from a rental home in Birmingham, where police said a pair of suspects, Matthew Amos Burke . State prosecutors said they spoke with the victim and other family members, and they were satisfied with the federal conviction and saw no need to proceed with the state charges. The most disturbing images were of children - a daycare center was hit by the bomb. As EBSCO grew into a worldwide empire, Elton was very clear about his goals. 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