Mr. Another Alabamian who has not been identified as a billionaire by Forbes -- long considered the leading authority on the topic -- is George Barber. "Neither EBSCO or our family is worth anywhere near Forbes' estimate. You can take any business, any product, anything and sell it, he says. The museum has a Stephens Family Gallery. Stephens at some point asked kidnappers what it would take for them to leave him alone and Hodges replied, $400,000. 44 birth records, View The woman who took part in the kidnapping of prominent Birmingham businessman Elton B. Stephens Jr. has been sentenced to federal prison. And so it went through the years, one thing leading to another. memorial page for John Thomas Elton Stephens (26 Jun 1912-24 Nov 1966), Find a Grave Memorial ID 141627531, citing Worthy Cemetery, . He was a native of Montgomery County, growing up in Mt. 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. 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. Following their arrest, Matthew Amos Burke, 34, and Tabatha Nicole Hodges, 33, were charged with burglary and kidnapping an adult -- the businessman Elton B. Stephens Jr., 75 -- for ransom, extortion and theft of property. Authorities went there on Saturday, Sept. 12, and both Burke and Hodges were there. I get the chance to remember the Share yesterday to connect today & preserve tomorrow, Copyright 1999-2023 AncientFaces, Inc. All Rights Reserved, ADVERTISEMENT Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The building where the orchestra performs the Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center is named in honor of Eltons beloved bride. 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. |. Worthy Cemetery. Vernon, and was a 1968 graduate of Montgomery County High School. 21 death records. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. We know that Elton R Stephens had been residing in Medford, Jackson County, Oregon 97504. "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. Elton Jr. has always been kind of the black sheep of the family and was not heavily involved in the family business. Her co-defendant 35-year-old Matthew Amos Burk was sentenced last month to 17 years. Matthew Amos Burke and Elton B. Stephens Jr. Matthew Amos Burke, 34, and Tabatha Nicole Hodges, 33, are charged with burglary, kidnapping an adult for ransom, extortion and theft of property. Procha Patrice Williams was tragically struck and killed by a vehicle on Jan. 8 in Birmingham. Soon after, along came an EBSCO publishing and bindery company to help keep the racks full of reading matter, and later a printing plant. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Stephens at some point asked kidnappers what it would take for them to leave him alone and Hodges replied, $400,000. Stephens also founded theMetropolitan Arts Council in 1986 and was a major contributor to the Birmingham Museum of Art. Before passing away at the age of 93 in 2005, Stephens and his wife, who preceded him in death in 1996, spent the last few decades of their lives donating millions to charity, educational institutions, the arts and various civic causes. She also initially said that the kidnapping was all her idea, not her boyfriends, but later said that was a lie. Find Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok profiles, images and more on IDCrawl - free people search website. 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. Eventually the group left the house with Stephens in a vehicle with Burke, and Hodges following in another vehicle with her two kids. Where we share as we remember & make discoveries and connect with others to help answer questions. The family, which inherited Stephens's wealth after his death in 2005, has never before discussed its finances with the media. Harbert is survived by three children, six grandchildren and three great-granddaughters, "plus many loving nieces and nephews," her obituary in the Birmingham News and AL.com reads. 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 . You have to stay with it, learn from mistakes, know what youre doing and youll succeed.. The Stephens other daughter is Jane Comer, who was honored in 2002 for her own support of the arts. 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. Stephens, and his son-in-law, F. Dixon Brooke, married to Stephens' daughter, Dell, both went on to lead EBSCO and have followed him in philanthropy through scholarships, charitable campaigns and support of the arts. Previous state court testimony indicated Stephens did not know his abductors. Elton's Obituary . Enter Controlled Demolition, Inc. (CDI) of Phoenix, Maryland, USA (acting as Explosives Subcontractor to Main Demolition Contractor, Lindamood Demolition of Irving. He taught Mathematics at Walter L. Cohen and Booker T. Washington High Schools. By 1936, at 25 years old, Elton had graduated from the University of Alabama Law School and was earning more money weekly managing sales people part-time than a starting . 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. LIONEL STEPHENS OBITUARY. Lurleen Burns Wallace (born Lurleen Brigham Burns; September 19, 1926 - May 7, 1968) was the 46th governor of Alabama for 15 months from January 1967 until her death. 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. 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.. Updated: November 4, 2011 . Messages run for up to one year and you The heiress of Birmingham-based Harbert Corporation magnate John Murdoch Harbert III, her husband of 43 years who died in 1995, Harbert left her brood a massive inheritance. Elton B Stephens lived 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 . "I was just obsessed with bicycles and motorcycles and cars." In short, he was all about anything with wheels. All Rights Reserved. Vernon, and was a 1968 graduate of Montgomery County High School. NEW! Mr. Stephens was born in Clio, Barbour County, Alabama. The city and state honored Stephens' support of civic projects by renaming the Red Mountain Expressway the "Elton B. Stephens Expressway" on Sept. 11, 1975. He was a member and deacon of Voice of GraceMinistries in Vidalia. Because private wealth is not a matter of public record, there's no telling if a sleeper billionaire is holed up somewhere in a rural Alabama cabin, or perhaps even sitting at the helm of one of the state's other successful companies. Family and friends are coming together online to create a special keepsake. It was Elton and Jim who initiated EBSCO's $2.5 million contribution to the University of Alabama's capital campaign in 1995. 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. 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. James Stephens, Elton Stephens, Jane Comer, Dell S Brooke - $4 billion. That led them to the location where Stephens had been taken. He was released only after he wired $250,000 to a bank account of the alleged kidnappers. He is currently safe, and two suspects are in custody. Read more about the life story of Elton and share your memory. A small-town boy, 11 Elton quickly learned the value of money. The suspect asked Stephens, What are you doing my house? which startled and confused Stephens. 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. In order to avoid impeachment, Richard M. Nixon announced that he would resign on August 8th, the first President to do so. Elton was a truck driver and worked with Southeastern Paper in Vidalia until his recent retirement. Tabatha Nicole Hodges, 33, was sentenced Thursday to 12 years for her part in the 2020 abduction of Stephens. The suspect asked Stephens, What are you doing my house? which startled and confused Stephens. As of 2014, the Stephens family had a net worth of over $4 billion, according to Forbes . It has a great diversity in businesses that include information services, publishing and digital media, outdoor products, real estate, manufacturing and general services. 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. Once the money was deposited, the suspects drove Stephens back to his rental house. Our History. The suspect asked Stephens, What are you doing my house? which startled and confused Stephens. 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