That meant I didnt have to work as much during the school year, so I could study more. Study and concentrate on his college romance with Alys Varian Robinson, whom he dated for seven years before the two married. Select the pencil to add details. Burke is charged with kidnapping Elton Stephens Jr., the son of EBSCO Industries founder Elton Stephens Sr. Burke is scheduled for sentencing Nov. 2, where he faces up to 17 years in prison. Elton was a truck driver and worked with Southeastern Paper in Vidalia until his recent retirement. Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho 83814 . The city and state honored Stephens' support of civic projects by renaming the Red Mountain Expressway the "Elton B. Stephens Expressway. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. The "international orange" color was chosen because it resisted rust and fading. Dr. Sarah B. Kalish officiating. Biographies are our place to remember and discover more about the people important to us. Tebo was born October 27, 1929 in Tabor City, NC the son of the late Rozier Liston and Beulah Watts Stephens. Stephens at some point asked kidnappers what it would take for them to leave him alone and Hodges replied, $400,000. John Thomas Elton Stephens. Then there was the need for military recreational equipment and furnishings for the officers clubs, so EBSCO eventually found itself handling carpeting and drapery, with a plant in Georgia, and managing military entertainment, with the purchase of National Billiard, Americas oldest pool table company. That went so well he branched out to other military bases and was able to save to start his own business. He was born July 22, 1949, in Fort Smith, Ark., to Oscar Louis Stephens and Patsy . A pair of kidnappers has been arrested after abducting a retired Alabama businessman and forcing him to pay a $250,000 ransom to gain his freedom, AL.com reports.. Mr. Elton Stephens, age 71, of Tarrytown, died Thursday, January 21, 2021, in Meadows Health in Vidalia after an brief illness. You can take any business, any product, anything and sell it, he says. Roughly two hours of the abduction were recorded on Stephens sleep apnea app. Authorities went there on Saturday, Sept. 12, and both Burke and Hodges were there. 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 Elton B. Stephens. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Add Elton's family friends, and his friends from childhood through adulthood. After they left, he went to a friends home to call police. BY ANCESTRY.COM. He also left one of his grandsons a few hundred thousand dollars' worth of stock. 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. At one point, earlier testimony showed, Burke told Stephens if he did anything to make Hodges feel uncomfortable, it wont end well for you.. 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. At one point, Stephens tried to jump out of the vehicle, but Burke pulled him back in by his shirt. In 1937 he obtained a franchise with Keystone Readers Service, a middleman between subscribers and publishers of such magazines as the Saturday Evening Post and Ladies Home Journal. 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 At one point, earlier testimony showed, Burke told Stephens if he did anything to make Hodges feel uncomfortable, it wont end well for you.. According to previous testimony and court records, the suspects entered Stephens Crest Road rental home about 2 a.m. As a youngster, he would rise early to milk the familys cows, then bottle and sell the milk before school. Burke was sentenced to 17 years, and Hodges to 12 years, in the federal penitentiary system. 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). They are also charged in state court and awaiting indictment consideration by a Jefferson County grand jury. From The Tribune staff reports. AncientFaces is a place where our memories live. 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. She also initially said that the kidnapping was all her idea, not her boyfriends, but later said that was a lie. Unlock the mysteries of your family history and explore the rich tapestry of your past with AncientFaces. 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. The couple had four children: James T. Stephens, Jane Stephens Comer, Elton B. Stephens, Jr., and Dell Stephens Brooke. can stop at any time. 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. James Stephens is the Chairman of EBSCO Industries. Elton Bryson Stephens Sr. (19112005) was an American businessman from Alabama, who founded EBSCO Industries. That company now sells coal in over 30 countries and had $621 million in sales last year, according to Hoover's. Region. was abducted in the morning hours of Sept. 11, 2020, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Mr. Stephens was born in Clio, Barbour County, Alabama. Stephens became one of the first members of the United Way's Million Dollar Roundtable of top contributors and he established the Alabama Percent Club, which honors businesses that give 10 percent, 5 percent or 2 percent of pre-tax income to charity. Stephens at some point asked kidnappers what it would take for them to leave him alone and Hodges replied, $400,000. Previous state court testimony indicated Stephens did not know his abductors. and has brown hair and blue eyes. 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 no paperwork indicating he was to remain held on a federal conviction, sheriffs officials said Tuesday. With headquarters still in Birmingham, EBSCO sells its products throughout the United States and has operations in more than 30 states and almost 20 foreign countries, including Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Korea, South Africa, Taiwan, France, Greece, Canada, and Turkey. With the Tuesday death of Marguerite "Wita" Jones Harbert, Alabama lost its wealthiest resident and only billionaire, according to the 2014 Forbes list of people with billions of dollars to their names. Matthew Amos Burke, 35, was being . A small-town boy, 11 Elton quickly learned the value of money. Marshals placed a detainer on him in late November, which means once Burke was finished with state charges, he should be released into their custody. Stephens, then 75, was abducted in the morning hours of Sept. 11, 2020, Roughly two hours of the abduction were recorded on Stephens sleep apnea app, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Elton B. Stephens Jr. remembers begging his father to build him a go-cart. . 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. we begin to Show & Tell who they were during particular moments in their lives. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or plant a tree in memory of Elton Stephens. [2] He donated $15 million to the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, where he was chairman of its board of trustees, and where the Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center was named after his late wife. 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. 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. These philosophies built a company I started in 1943 with capital of $5,000 and sales under $1,000,000, and fewer than 20 employees to annual sales of more than $1 billion on June 30, 1997; over 4,000 employees and 100 profit centers operating worldwide with adequate capital to continue growth. He transitioned peacefully from this earthly life to eternal rest early Sunday morning, December 5, 2021, at the age of 79 at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital in Sumter, South Carolina. [2] For charitable contributions to the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Stephens Family Gallery is named in his family's honor. EBSCO quickly expanded; Elton saw the need for magazine racks at Fort McClellan and other places and formed Vulcan Industries to make them. He has been involved with the Southern Research Institute, Waste Water Facilities Development Committee, Y.M.C.A., American Council of the Arts, United Arts Fund, Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Methodist Hospitals, American Cancer Society, Alabama Development Office, and most especially the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. 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 . 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.

. North America. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Elton B Stephens lived After waking Stephens, Burke asked the victim how much money he had and if he had any real estate holdings, according to the plea agreement. We know that Elton R Stephens had been residing in Medford, Jackson County, Oregon 97504. He was a member and deacon of Voice of GraceMinistries in Vidalia. The kidnapper of Birmingham businessman Elton B. Stephens Jr. has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Named by Forbes as the 66th richest family in America, the Stephenses of Birmingham reportedly had a net worth of $4 billion as of last year. James Lewis Stephens. in memory of Elton Stephens, please visit our floral store. Read more about the life story of Elton and share your memory. Brooke. He served four years in the U.S. Army and returned to Mt. Birmingham and Mountain Brook police, as well as the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, responded. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) Two people are behind bars after allegedly kidnapping Birmingham businessman and philanthropist Elton B. Stephens Jr. and forcing him to wire hundreds of thousands of dollars to them after stealing his vehicle, multiple guns, and jewelry last week. Elton R Stephens was born on October 8, 1933. He was a native of Montgomery County, growing up in Mt. Marston graduated from Bossier High School and joined the United States ARMY. See What AncientFaces Does to discover more about the community. After waking Stephens, Burke asked the victim how much money he had and if he had any real estate holdings, according to the plea agreement. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Elton Stephens, Sr.'s wife, Alys Robinson Stephens, passed away in 1996, leaving the couple's four children, Elton B. Stephens, Jr., James T. Stephens, Jane S. Comer and Dell S. Brooke, as the . 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. to the family or plant a tree In fact, it has never actually been clear whether Harbert truly was the richest Alabamian, let alone the state's only billionaire. He has served as chairman of the Board of Trustees for Birmingham-Southern College and had numerous scholarships established in his name at both his alma maters; his honors and accolades abound.

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