Mr. On December 14th, he succeeded. Stephens was taken to the suspects home in Remlap and held against his will for eight hours. 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. EBSCO Industries. On Friday, Dec. 10, he was accidently released from the Jefferson County Jail after state charges were dismissed. We have no idea how Forbes could have so wrongly made this estimate. Stephens at some point asked kidnappers what it would take for them to leave him alone and Hodges replied, $400,000. ( al.com) Citing a "veiled threat" from a "white conservative group . All rights reserved (About Us). He was a native of Montgomery County, growing up in Mt. when he died at the age of 93. Join Facebook to connect with Elton B. Stephens and others you may know. the average Stephens family member Vernon where he lived until moving to Tarrytown in 1989. Birmingham and Mountain Brook police, as well as the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, responded. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in the book. He was a member and deacon of Voice of GraceMinistries in Vidalia. That company now sells coal in over 30 countries and had $621 million in sales last year, according to Hoover's. To the present, it is the symbol of the City that is known throughout the world. It was Elton and Jim who initiated EBSCO's $2.5 million contribution to the University of Alabama's capital campaign in 1995. The deadliest incident of domestic terrorism ever, Timothy McVeigh, Terry Nichols, and Michael Fortier were convicted of the bombing. She also initially said that the kidnapping was all her idea, not her boyfriends, but later said that was a lie. The gift included $1 million for an endowed fund for the UA libraries; $900,000 for an endowed fund in the School of Libraries and Information Studies; $400,000 to the College of Commerce and Business Administration for sales, sales management and marketing scholarships; and $200,000 to support the UA-based Alabama Museum of Natural History. Enter 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. Advertisement. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Later questioned by authorities as to how she came up with that amount, Hodges replied, it sounded like a big number.. This section is to introduce Elton Stephens with highlights of his life and how he is remembered. He is currently safe, and two suspects are in custody. In 1937, by the time he was 26 years old, on May 28th, the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge opened to cars. Outstanding Student in Biomedical Equipment Technology - Justin Hollis . Texas. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 04-March, 1:30 PM, First Baptist Richmond Hill, Glennville City Cemetery. "[2], Stephens established the Metropolitan Arts Council of Birmingham in 1986. Mr. Elton Stephens, age 71, of Tarrytown, died Thursday, January 21, 2021, in Meadows Health in Vidalia after an brief illness. The Biography piece is collaborative, where we work together to present the facts. It was Eltons frustration with borrowing money early in his business career that led him in 1981, at the age of 70, to begin a second career as a financier. Vernon, and was a 1968 graduate of Montgomery County High School. He served four years in the U.S. Army and returned to Mt. Messages run for up to one year and you Good healthy years, being successful in whatever it is you may choose to do, after this, as long as you do it right.. Both issued guilty pleas in the federal case to kidnapping and bank fraud charges. Messages run for up to one year and you 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. Mr. Elton L. "Tebo" Stephens, 89, of Wadesboro, NC, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 3, 2019. 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 . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Once the money was deposited, the suspects drove Stephens back to his rental house. Stephens chaired the Alabama Symphonic Association at the time, but it was his $15 million contribution to revive theAlabama Symphony Orchestra that gave it new life with an initial $5 million startup operating fund and a $10 million endowment that ensured its survival. 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. [2][6], Stephens was married to Alys Robinson. 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. Mr. Elton L. Tebo Stephens, 89, of Wadesboro, NC, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 3, 2019. |. Elton B. Stephens Jr. was kidnapped at around 7am on September 11 from a rental home in Birmingham, Alabama after two suspects broke into the man's house while he was asleep Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 1892 - 1976. 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. The editor has been contacted for making a correction to their data.". We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. [4] It later became known as EBSCO Industries, a diversified company in "information services, publishing and digital media, outdoor products, real estate, manufacturing and general services. Elton Stephens believes anyone can successfully sell anything. "Neither EBSCO or our family is worth anywhere near Forbes' estimate. 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. And so it went through the years, one thing leading to another. Her co-defendant 35-year-old Matthew Amos Burk was sentenced last month to 17 years. 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. "When I was four, I had pneumonia, and I remember my father often standing over my crib and entertaining . To cover the rest of his costs, the enterprising young man worked full-time as a salesman in a local dry goods store. Elton B. Stephens 1911 - 2005 2020 Inductee. I get the chance to remember the Share yesterday to connect today & preserve tomorrow, Copyright 1999-2023 AncientFaces, Inc. All Rights Reserved, ADVERTISEMENT Taking 5 years to build, the 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge was an engineering marvel of its time - 11 men died during construction. Share what Elton did for a living or if he had a career or profession. Hodges gave them consent to search the residence and thats when authorities found several guns, a Yeti cooler, a camera and cash that had been taken from Stephens home. 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). 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. Tebo was born October 27, 1929 in Tabor City, NC the son of the late Rozier Liston and Beulah Watts Stephens. "Virtually all of our personal assets are in our ownership of EBSCO of which we are proud and to which we are fully committed," the statement said. 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. Heman Drummond first worked in a mine himself before cobbling together several hundred dollars and launching his own company in 1935. 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. Elton B. Stephens Scholarship Hannah Combs; Elton B. Stephens Scholarship Aundria Kurowski; 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). Son, Elton B. Stephens Jr., headed EBSCO Realty, responsible for eco-friendly, sustainable development approaches such asMt Laurel in Shelby County andAlys Beach on the Florida Gulf Coast. 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. The Remlap pair remains behind bars on no bond. 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. Online condolences may be made at www.leavittfh.com. 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. 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. There is no early parole. Controlled Demolition, Inc. (CDI) of Phoenix, Maryland, USA (acting as Explosives Subcontractor to Main Demolition Contractor, Lindamood Demolition of Irving. His father Elton B. Stephens started the company . Updated: November 4, 2011 . A nine-digit bank account would keep anyone sitting pretty for generations, but it doesn't automatically guarantee a claim to the title of richest Alabamian. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The man accused of kidnapping prominent Birmingham businessman Elton B. Stephens Jr. has pleaded guilty to federal charges in last years abduction. Marston graduated from Bossier High School and joined the United States ARMY. Burke went on to say, according to testimony, that he had bought the house two weeks before which was not true. Its core industries include subscription services to libraries, bibliographic databases, manufacturing of construction and outdoors products, and real estate development. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Voice of Grace Ministries, 1221 Orange St., Vidalia, GA 30474. You can take any business, any product, anything and sell it, he says. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. LIONEL STEPHENS OBITUARY. Stephens was born on August 4, 1911, in Clio, Alabama. Memorials. The family, which inherited Stephens's wealth after his death in 2005, has never before discussed its finances with the media. Stephens gave $1 million to theUnited Way of Central Alabama in 1997, one of many large personal donations he made to the charitable group. 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. The woman who took part in the kidnapping of prominent Birmingham businessman Elton B. Stephens Jr. has been sentenced to federal prison. He's currently 80 years old and is the richest man in Alabama. On July 1, Brooke retired as CEO of EBSCO Industries, replaced by Tim Collins, the former president of EBSCO Information Services. November 13, 1892 . 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. 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