Chester (Check) Oliver Stephens Jr. died Monday August 18th at Vaughan Regional Medical Center, Selma, AL. He was 92.

Services will be held Thursday, August 21, at 11:00 am at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church Selma, 301 Broad Street with visitation 1 hour prior in the Warren Room. A burial service will follow the church service in the cemetery of Ivy Creek United Methodist Church, Mulberry, Alabama with Lawrence Brown-Service Funeral Home directing.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Chester Oliver Stephens and Martha Shorter Hamilton Stephens of Chattanooga, TN, his first wife, Minnie Steele McNeel Stephens, and son Chester Oliver Stephens, III. Survivors include wife, Margaret Thompson Stephens, daughters, Martha S. Hughes (Jimmy), Gladys S. Elliott (Jimmy), grandchildren, Abbie E. Tucker (Logan), Elizabeth (James) Knowles, Katherine H. Hughes and Pitt N. Hughes (Aly); great grandchildren, Emily and Elliott Tucker and Philip Hughes; step daughter Jan (Cary) McCoy and step grandchildren Robert, Sarah, and Megan McCoy of Walters, OK

Mr. Stephens was born September 13, 1921 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He graduated from The McCallie School, Chattanooga, TN in 1940. The fall of 1940 he entered Alabama Polytechnic Institute, now Auburn University, as a student in the school of agriculture. While at Auburn he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order serving as president. His college career was interrupted by WW II. He received his commission as a 2nd Lt. from Auburn ROTC in 1941 and traveled to Ft. Sill, OK. where he trained in field artillery. In 1944 he was stationed in England where he trained for field preparation for the Normandy invasion. He landed in Normandy, Omaha Beach, D-Day plus 13, and served as an officer in the U.S. Army’s European campaigns. Post war, he returned to Auburn and graduated in 1947 with a degree in agricultural science.

For 20 plus years he and his family made his home in Greensboro, AL. From 1947 to 1960 he was the west Alabama sales manager for Ralston Purina Company. He was a pioneer in the catfish industry in the early 1960’s and founded STRAL Co. along with 2 business partners which was the beginning of the multimillion dollar catfish industry in the state Alabama. He was also a founder of the first catfish processing plant in the state. His story is written about in the book Fishing for Gold by Karney R. Perez.

In 1973, he and his family moved to Autauga County where he continued to raise catfish fingerlings, Christmas trees, and timber.

Stephens’ provided leadership to many civic, industry, and religious organizations. He was a lifelong Presbyterian, sixty plus year member of Rotary International, was inducted into Auburn University Ag Alumni Hall of Honor in 1990, past president of Autauga County Farmers Association, two time Autauga County Farmer of the year recipient, Autauga County Treasure Forest recipient, and received Outstanding Conservationist award from the Autauga County Natural Resource Conservation District Board.

A life time Republican, he was a member of the Autauga County Executive Committee for thirty plus years. He remained in the army reserve for 35 years retiring as a colonel. And was inducted into the artillery OCS Hall of Fame, and a member of the American Legion.

The family would like to extend special thanks to friend and caregiver Ben Irvin

Pallbearers will be Gerry U. Stephens Jr., Monro B. Lanier III, Pitt N. Hughes, Dr. Logan Tucker, D. James Knowles, and S. Glenn Daniel III.

In lieu of flowers you may consider making memorial gifts to Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, 301 Broad Street, Selma.AL 36701 , or Ivy Creek United Methodist Church 560 Autauga County Road 1 South Selma, AL 36703.