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. EBSCO's history reaches back to the first summer of the Great Depression when 19-year-old Clio, Alabama, native Elton B. Stephens sold magazine subscriptions door to door to earn money for college. Brooke joined EBSCO in. He is currently safe, and two suspects are in custody. 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. Updated: November 9, 2011 . [2][6], Stephens was married to Alys Robinson. EBSCO Industries. 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 . He left nearly all of his sizeable fortune and much of his property to a foundation bearing his name, to be overseen by his children. Memorials. Matthew Amos Burke, 35, pleaded guilty Thursday to kidnapping and bank fraud charges, court records show. Send Flowers. 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). EBSCO Industries is a privately held, widely diversified corporation founded in 1944 by Elton B. Stephens (hence the EBSCO acronym E lton B S tephens CO mpany). Mr. Elton L. "Tebo" Stephens, 89, of Wadesboro, NC, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 3, 2019. 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. The Stephens other daughter is Jane Comer, who was honored in 2002 for her own support of the arts. Just coming off another divorce I think. Williams, 34, was hit at about 2:28 a.m. after exiting her disabled vehicle on the Elton B. Stephens Expressway. Investigators were able to track down the suspects by obtaining GPS location information that was on Stephens phone. In 1995, he was approached by board members and asked to help re-establish the bankrupt ASO. It has a great diversity in businesses that include information services, publishing and digital media, outdoor products, real estate, manufacturing and general services. Birmingham and Mountain Brook police, as well as the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, responded. [2] For charitable contributions to the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Stephens Family Gallery is named in his family's honor. According to court documents, Burke and Hodges abducted Stephens with the . 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Tabatha Nicole Hodges, 33, was sentenced Thursday to . 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. The city and state honored Stephens' support of civic projects by renaming the Red Mountain Expressway the "Elton B. Stephens Expressway. 44 birth, 21 death, 3 marriage, 327 divorce, View We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. That marriage, which lasted until Alys Stephens death in 1996, took place in 1935, after Elton had graduated from Birmingham-Southern and before he completed his last year of law school at The University of Alabama. Her co-defendant 35-year-old Matthew Amos Burk was sentenced last month to 17 years. According to previous testimony and court records, the suspects entered Stephens Crest Road rental home about 2 a.m. 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 only remaining members of his nuclear family. Wadesboro Mr. Elton L. "Tebo" Stephens, 89, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 3, 2019. Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama 35201. Court records show Matthew Amos Burke, 34, and Tabatha Nicole Hodges, 33, are [] 22 years longer than Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Elton 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.. Help paint a picture of Elton so that he is always remembered. When I was four, I had pneumonia, and I remember my father often standing over my crib and entertaining me, Elton once recalled fondly. Photos, memories, family stories & discoveries are unique to you, and only you can control. He was charged with obstruction of justice, failure to uphold laws, and the refusal to produce material subpoenaed by the committee. Matthew Amos Burke (Jefferson County Jail). Controlled Demolition, Inc. (CDI) of Phoenix, Maryland, USA (acting as Explosives Subcontractor to Main Demolition Contractor, Lindamood Demolition of Irving. A 2014 report on the world's super-rich by the wealth research firm Wealth-X listed her fortune at $1.8 billion. Matthew Amos Burke, 35, was being . What is Elton's ethnicity and where did his parents, grandparents & great-grandparents come from? FUNERAL HOME. The museum has a Stephens Family Gallery. 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. Eventually the group left the house with Stephens in a vehicle with Burke, and Hodges following in another vehicle with her two kids. [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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. This section is to introduce Elton Stephens with highlights of his life and how he is remembered. Sadly, Williams was pronounced dead at the scene. Later questioned by authorities as to how she came up with that amount, Hodges replied, it sounded like a big number.. 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. 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. Obituary. He was born on October 24, 1926 in Hall Summit, Louisiana to the late Roy Henry and Tommie Lee Fletcher Stephens. Elton Earl Stephens. 94, February 25, 2023, Baker McCullough Funeral Home. Mr. Stephens was born in Clio, Barbour County, Alabama. 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). 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. She was Alabama's first female governor and was the only female governor to . Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho 83814 . As EBSCO grew into a worldwide empire, Elton was very clear about his goals. Baker McCullough Funeral Home Danyse G. Edel A graveside service will be at 11:00 am, Friday, March 8, 2019 at Hillcrest Cemetery, Lake Waccamaw, NC with Rev. Select the pencil to add details. Matthew Amos Burke, 35, was freed from the Jefferson County Jail on Dec. 10, more than a month after pleading guilty to federal charges in the abduction of Birmingham businessman Elton B. Stephens . After graduating from law school, Elton found that he could earn only $75 a month as a lawyer while selling magazines would bring in some $100 a week. 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. Texas. Burke was transferred to the Jefferson County Jail from a neighboring agency which was holding Burke for the feds Nov. 24 to attend court. 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. EBSCO Industries is now so diverse it deals with everything from investments to library periodicals, plastic fishing lures to steel joists, indoor advertising to realty, with Eltons love of selling seemingly forever moving the company forward into new markets. Read more about the life story of Elton and share your memory. was released from the Jefferson County Jail, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. "He took a six-panel wood door and put a steering wheel on it and a lawn mower engine on the back and four tires," Stephens recalls of the elder. Later questioned by authorities as to how she came up with that amount, Hodges replied, it sounded like a big number.. He taught Mathematics at Walter L. Cohen and Booker T. Washington High Schools. Vernon where he lived until moving to . Burke was sentenced to 17 years in prison for kidnapping Elton B. Stephens Jr. last year, according to jail records. That company now sells coal in over 30 countries and had $621 million in sales last year, according to Hoover's. His father Elton B. Stephens started the company . Authorities went there on Saturday, Sept. 12, and both Burke and Hodges were there. All Rights Reserved. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, 2023 McKenzie Mortuary. November 13, 1892 . Dr. Sarah B. Kalish officiating. 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.

. Stephens at some point asked kidnappers what it would take for them to leave him alone and Hodges replied, $400,000. Hodges two children ages 11 and 13 were with Hodges and Burke throughout the entire ordeal. Our primary concern is, of course, the safety of Mr. Stephens and his family, Spina said. Stephens was married to Alys Robinson. Elton was a truck driver and worked with Southeastern Paper in Vidalia until his recent retirement. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or plant a tree in memory of Elton Stephens. was abducted in the morning hours of Sept. 11, 2020, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. According to law enforcement, Burke and Tabatha Nicole Hodges, 22, broke into a house Stephens was staying at in Jefferson County as he slept on September . "[2], Stephens established the Metropolitan Arts Council of Birmingham in 1986. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. The Bureau had approximately 650 employees, including 441 Special Agents. 909 South Tennille Ave. Donalsonville, GA. ELTON STEPHENS OBITUARY . Where was Elton born and where did he live? Tabatha Nicole Hodges (Jefferson County Jail). Stephens family member is 71. Who is Elton Stephens to you? The average age of When you share, or just show that you care, the heart when he died at the age of 93. Mr. Elton Stephens, age 71, of Tarrytown, died Thursday, January 21, 2021, in Meadows Health in Vidalia after an brief illness. A truck bomb went off outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown - killing 68 people, injuring more than 680 others, and destroying one-third of the building. Elton Stephens of Cleveland, Blount County, Alabama was born on July 5, 1913, and died at age 71 years old in October 1984. But Stephens's son, current EBSCO board chairman James T. Stephens, told AL.com in an email statement Friday that the Forbes figure was "grossly overstated," though Forbes has not amended or withdrawn its report. 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. Perhaps that will be enough incentive for Mr. Burke to turn himself in, Spina said. Investigators were able to track down the suspects by obtaining GPS location information that was on Stephens phone. Elton B Stephens lived We know that Elton R Stephens had been residing in Medford, Jackson County, Oregon 97504. 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.. If it were split equally between her three children, they would walk away with a cool $600 million each before taxes and fees. [3], Stephens founded Military Service Co. in 1944, with US$5,000. He was a native of Montgomery County, growing up in Mt. That first year, I saved $500 and thats like several thousand today, he remembers. 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. BY ANCESTRY.COM. 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. Brooke. Tabatha Nicole Hodges, 33, was sentenced Thursday to 12 years for her part in the 2020 abduction of Stephens. Elton Stephens . LIONEL STEPHENS OBITUARY. "When I was four, I had pneumonia, and I remember my father often standing over my crib and entertaining . can stop at any time. 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 Stephens died at age 70 years old on January 8, 1997. "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. Stephens died on February 5, 2005. Stephens is the son of Elton B. Stephens Sr., who started the conglomerate EBSCO Industries. 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. Born . Sentencing is set for Nov. 2 before U.S. District Judge Abdul Kallon. Vernon where he lived until moving to Tarrytown in 1989. 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. BIRMINGHAM Two people from Remlap are being held in the Jefferson County Jail on no bond following the kidnapping and ransom demand of Elton B. Stephens, Jr. He once tried to swap me a nickel for a dime saying it was bigger and had more value. BIRMINGHAM, AL the accused kidnapper of prominent Birmingham Businessman Elton B. Stephens, Jr. has pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple charges. That went so well he branched out to other military bases and was able to save to start his own business. At one point, earlier testimony showed, Burke told Stephens if he did anything to make Hodges feel uncomfortable, it wont end well for you.. Summary Elton Stephens of Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho was born on November 13, 1892, and died at age 83 years old in February 1976. . Death . Elton B. Stephens. Elton B. Stephens Jr. remembers begging his father to build him a go-cart. Welcome to AncientFaces, a com "Thank you for helping me find my family & friends again so many years after I lost them. He was released only after he wired $250,000 to a bank account of the alleged kidnappers. Death and legacy. . Family and friends are coming together online to create a special keepsake. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Two people are behind bars after prominent Birmingham businessman Elton B. Stephens Jr. was kidnapped during a home invasion. Obituary. 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. 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. They had two sons, Elton B. Stephens Jr. and James T. Stephens, and two daughters, Jane S. Comer and Dell S. Brooke. Vernon, and was a 1968 graduate of Montgomery County High School. Elton Stephens Elton Stephens (1913 - 1984) Jump to: Biography Memories . "My children learned from an early age that if they wanted to eat, they had to work. 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. 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.

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