You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or plant a tree in memory of Elton Stephens. Share what Elton did for a living or if he had a career or profession. Elton Stephens died at age 70 years old on January 8, 1997. He enjoyed fishing, camping, woodworkingand tinkering. That first year, I saved $500 and thats like several thousand today, he remembers. Tabatha Nicole Hodges (Jefferson County Jail). and has brown hair and blue eyes. Tabatha Nicole Hodges (Jefferson County Jail). At one point, earlier testimony showed, Burke told Stephens if he did anything to make Hodges feel uncomfortable, it wont end well for you.. "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. Eventually the group left the house with Stephens in a vehicle with Burke, and Hodges following in another vehicle with her two kids. Stephens, Jr. most recently served as . 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. Burke went on to say, according to testimony, that he had bought the house two weeks before which was not true. That went so well he branched out to other military bases and was able to save to start his own business. Burke was sentenced to 17 years in prison for kidnapping Elton B. Stephens Jr. last year, according to jail records. Where we share as we remember & make discoveries and connect with others to help answer questions. A search is underway for the man convicted in the kidnapping of prominent Birmingham businessman Elton B. Stephens after he was accidentally released from jail. Vernon, and was a 1968 graduate of Montgomery County High School. What schools or universities did Elton attend? 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. Biographies are our place to remember and discover more about the people important to us. After they left, he went to a friends home to call police. Stephens died on February 5, 2005. Good healthy years, being successful in whatever it is you may choose to do, after this, as long as you do it right.. 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. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Heman Drummond first worked in a mine himself before cobbling together several hundred dollars and launching his own company in 1935. Hodges told investigators Stephens had given the items to them willingly, but court records stated that they said they would kill him if he called anyone. becomes full He was released only after he wired $250,000 to a bank account of the alleged kidnappers. Stephens told Burke he was scaring him and asked Burke how much money it would take to leave him alone. Another potential candidate for the title of richest Alabama resident is Garry Neil Drummond, one of seven original heirs to the Drummond Co. fortune left behind by Heman Drummond when he died in 1956. [5] They met as students at Birmingham-Southern College and graduated together in 1932. Authorities went there on Saturday, Sept. 12, and both Burke and Hodges were there. Birmingham and Mountain Brook police, as well as the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, responded. Matthew Amos Burke, 34, and Tabatha Nicole Hodges, 33, are charged with burglary, kidnapping an adult for ransom, extortion and theft of property. 2017-2023 Tribute Archive. He was a loving husband and a faithful friend. Matthew Burke and Tabatha Hodges pleaded guilty on federal charges in the abduction of Elton B. Stephens, Jr. Burke and Hodges admit to kidnapping Stephens from his home last year and attempting to get a ransom of $250,000. Stephens was taken to the suspects home in Remlap and held against his will for eight hours. 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. 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.. Elton B. Stephens. Authorities went there on Saturday, Sept. 12, and both Burke and Hodges were there. Later questioned by authorities as to how she came up with that amount, Hodges replied, it sounded like a big number.. 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. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is 5 years in prison. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "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. Elton B Stephens of Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama was born on August 4, 1911, and died at age 93 years old on February 5, 2005. [2] Additionally, he donated $1 million to the United Way of Central Alabama in 1997, joining their Million Dollar Roundtable. To cover the rest of his costs, the enterprising young man worked full-time as a salesman in a local dry goods store. Procha Patrice Williams was tragically struck and killed by a vehicle on Jan. 8 in Birmingham. According to his will -- dated April 12, 1993, and filed with the probate court shortly after his death on Feb. 5, 2005 -- the Stephens patriarch named his four children as his heirs. In 1937, by the time he was 26 years old, on May 28th, the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge opened to cars. February 1976 . He was released only after he wired $250,000 to a bank account of the alleged kidnappers. 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. Joni Money said sheriffs officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding Burkes release but said they did not have any documentation that Burke was to remain in custody. Evans-Skipper Funeral Home - Donalsonville. 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. 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 R Stephens Elton Stephens (1933 - 2006) Jump to: . After they left, he went to a friends home to call police. On the way to Remlap, the group stopped at a Full Moon Bar-B-Que drive-thru to get lunch. He has connections to . On July 1, Brooke retired as CEO of EBSCO Industries, replaced by Tim Collins, the former president of EBSCO Information Services. Liberty County. Elton has been found in 13 states including Alabama, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Utah. Our primary concern is, of course, the safety of Mr. Stephens and his family, Spina said. His wife died in 1996. 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. 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 born on June 21, 1934 in Minster, Ohio to the late Frank & Rose (Jacobs) Meiring. 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. Perhaps that will be enough incentive for Mr. Burke to turn himself in, Spina said. 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. The man accused of kidnapping prominent Birmingham businessman Elton B. Stephens Jr. has pleaded guilty to federal charges in last years abduction. 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 met as students at Birmingham-Southern College and graduated together in 1932. They are also charged in state court and awaiting indictment consideration by a Jefferson County grand jury. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Vernon, and was a 1968 graduate of Montgomery County High School. 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. October 11th, 2021. Arrangements in Whiteville are being handled by McKenzie Mortuary. The couple had four children: James T. Stephens, Jane Stephens Comer, Elton B. Stephens, Jr., and Dell Stephens Brooke. Williams, 34, was hit at about 2:28 a.m. after exiting her disabled vehicle on the Elton B. Stephens Expressway. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. Hodges told investigators Stephens had given the items to them willingly, but court records stated that they said they would kill him if he called anyone. Once the money was deposited, the suspects drove Stephens back to his rental house. Friends can be as close as family. A small-town boy, 11 Elton quickly learned the value of money. We have no idea how Forbes could have so wrongly made this estimate. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. A graveside service will be at 11:00 am, Friday, March 8, 2019 at Hillcrest Cemetery, Lake Waccamaw, NC with Rev. Alys was his mother, the wife of Elton B. Stephens, Sr. You can take any business, any product, anything and sell it, he says. Vernon where he lived until moving to . [7] They had two sons, Elton B. Stephens Jr. and James T. Stephens, and two daughters, Jane S. Comer and Dell S. The suspect asked Stephens, What are you doing my house? which startled and confused Stephens. [2][4][5] The company sold magazine subscriptions to the United States Army. 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 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 Matthew Amos Burke, 34, and Tabatha Nicole Hodges, 33, are charged with abducting Alabama businessman Elton B. Stephens Jr.whose family is 66th on Forbes' list of the richest clans, AL.com . Mr. Elton L. "Tebo" Stephens, 89, of Wadesboro, NC, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 3, 2019. BIRMINGHAM, AL the accused kidnapper of prominent Birmingham Businessman Elton B. Stephens, Jr. has pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple charges. Sheriffs Sgt. One of the vehicles belonged to Stephens but the detective said the suspects made him sign a $10 bill of sale for his truck. 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. Elton B. Stephens, Jr., the retired CEO of EBSCO Industries, was reportedly kidnapped from his bed last Friday and held for ransom. [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. when he died at the age of 93. Jefferson County grand jury multiple charges, Brooke retired as CEO of Information! Stephens was taken to the family, or plant a tree in memory of Stephens... 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