James Thomas Phillips, better known as
Captain Tom, married Nellie Brannon, 1898-1993.
Their son, Frederick Funston Phillips, born January 20, 1917, died
March 20, 2006,
married LaFrances Charles "Frances" Walker, born March 28, 1918, died
December 13, 1998. She was the daughter of former Shelby County Alabama
Probate Judge
Leon Columbus "L.C." Walker, 1887-1976, and Pearle Nickerson, 1887-1963.
The Shelby County Reporter, Thursday, February 16, 1961
~ Funeral Services Held For Prominent Business Man ~
"The many friends of J.T. Phillips in Shelby County were saddened by his death
on February 11th at Alabaster. He had been in ill health for several months.
Funeral services were held at Siluria Baptist Church on Monday, February 13th,
conducted by the Reverend Nelson Bullard. Burial was in Elmwood Cemetery,
Birmingham Ridout's Valley Chapel directing.
Mr. Phillips figured prominently in the industrial growth of Shelby County.
He came to Siluria in 1927 from Kinston, North Carolina, as superintendent at
Buck Creek Cotton Mills Company. He later acquired ownership of this mill which,
under his direction grew to one of the leading textile mills of the state. He
has been associated with his son, Fred F. Phillips, in Valley Mills at
Columbiana, Alabama and in Starkville Mills at Starkville, Mississippi. The mill
at Siluria became Siluria Mills, Inc., when it was sold in 1960 to J.W.
Valentine Company at which time Mr. Phillips retired, though maintaining an
office in Birmingham as Chairman of Board of Directors of Buck Creek Cotton
Mills.
Mr. Phillips was elected to the state senate in 1950. During his term he was
a leader in legislation for prison reform and in modernization of the prison
textile mills.
At the time of his death, he was Vice-Chairman of the Shelby County Hospital
Board and played an important part in bringing Shelby Memorial Hospital to
Shelby County. He was a Mason, a Shriner and a member of the Board of Directors
of Crippled Children's Clinic in Birmingham.
Surviving are his wife, his son, Fred F. Phillips of Siluria, two grandsons
and four sisters: Mrs. N. Wilson, Lowell, N.C.; Mrs. Dell Pennington, Gastonia,
N.C.; Mrs. Effie Baker and Mrs. Eula Hornsby, both of Chester, S.C.."
In Memory
FREDERICK FUNSTON PHILLIPS
January 20, 1917 ~ March 20, 2006
"Fred F. Phillips, 89, of Siluria, AL, passed away March 20,
2006 at Shelby Baptist Hospital in Alabaster, AL. He is preceded in death by his
wife of 60 years, Frances Walker Phillips and a son, Frederick F. Phillips, Jr.
His parents were the late Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Phillips of Siluria, AL. Survivors
include sons, Tom Phillips of Birmingham, AL and David Phillips of Alabaster,
AL; grandchildren, Frederick Scott Phillips of Birmingham, AL, Carol Frances
Phillips Fails of Nashville, TN, Helen Phillips Dean of Chelsea, AL, and John
Phillips of Chelsea, AL; and great grandchildren, Hannah Dean of Chelsea, AL and
Eli and Garth Fails of Nashville, TN. Mr. Phillips was a graduate of the
Darlington School of Rome Ga., The Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga.
and spent most of his career in the textile manufacturing industry. He was
President and later Chairman of Buck Creek Cotton Mills from 1939 until 1973
when the mills were all sold under the name of Buck Creek Industries, Inc. Mr.
Phillips father, Senator J.T. Phillips moved his family from Gastonia, N.C. to
Siluria, AL in 1928 when he took over the management of the Buck Creek Cotton
Mills for the Thompson family and by 1938 became its owner and was active in the
business until his death in 1961. Buck Creek Cotton Mills was an industry leader
in napped cotton flannels and in later years was known for making rugs and
carpets and supplies for the carpet industry. Mr. Phillips established his own
sales offices in New York City for the mills and created one of the first
distribution centers in Dalton, Ga. for supplies of yarns and cotton backings to
the carpet industry. Fred Phillips grew this business from one mill in 1960 to 9
mills and over 1000 employees at its peak and the family sold the business to
the Sperry and Hutchinson Co. in 1973. Mr. Phillips built Valley Mills in
Columbiana, AL in 1947 which acted as one the leading plants of the Buck Creek
chain of mills. In his early career, he was active in the Young Presidents
Association, was President one year of the Alabama Textile Manufacturers
Association, was active in the Georgia Textile Manufacturers Association and the
Tufted Textile Manufacturers Association later known as the Carpet and Rug
Institute. After his retirement from the textile industry, Mr. Phillips acted as
an investment counselor and was a stock broker in Birmingham Alabama associated
with Calton and Associates of Tampa, FL for many years. Mr. Phillips was active
in the Atlanta Athletic Club and the Cherokee Club of Atlanta, Ga. and was once
active in the Vestavia Country Club and The Club in Birmingham, AL. Mr. Phillips
was a lifetime supporter of The Eye Foundation Hospital, The Darlington School,
and The Siluria Baptist Church. He and his father were active supporters of the
Masons, The Shriners, Thompson High School, and various charities in the
Birmingham area. In recent years Mr. Phillips was active in the Alabaster-Pelham
Rotary Club and The Siluria Baptist Church who are both acting as honorary
pallbearers. His family requests any memorials be made to the Siluria Baptist
Church of Alabaster, AL or The Darlington School of Rome, Ga. The services will
be held at the Southern Heritage Funeral Home with viewing from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 22, and a service at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 23, with interment
at Elmwood Cemetery immediately following the service." Published in The
Birmingham News on 3/22/2006.