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Jackson bachelor's generosity benefits local churches
He was a bachelor and a veteran of World War II, having served in the Army's Signal Corp in Germany. He was a smart and educated man. He might not have had a college degree but you knew he was educated by his speech, what he talked about and the way he carried and presented himself. He lived almost all of his life in the old rambling family home in which he grew up on the other side of downtown, on College Avenue. It frequently appeared in need of painting and other repairs. McVay died Dec. 15, 2006, less than a month shy of his 97th birthday. Sizeable estate He left an estate that would surprise many. The provisions of his will are just now being carried out and many Jackson individuals and churches are beneficiaries of his generosity. Jackson accountant Melton DuBose is executor of the estate and was a longtime friend of McVay's.
The will specified nearly $300,000 in cash gifts with any residual from the estate being split between the First Baptist Church of Jackson, the First United Methodist Church of Jackson and the First Presbyterian Church of Jackson. The will specified that half of the Baptist residual allocation be earmarked for the Dr. Grady Ketchum scholarship fund. Ketchum was a longtime pastor of the church. DuBose said he expected "significant" allocations would be made to the three churches from what he termed a "sizeable" estate. Churches, college, individuals receive gifts Specific appropriations in the will included the First Baptist Church of Jackson, a $30,000 gift; the Jackson First United Methodist Church, a $15,000 gift; the First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, $15,000; and the St. Union Baptist Church of Jackson, $15,000. The Church Street United Methodist Church of Selma was willed $50,000 in memory of Azile Norris McVay, Wilburn McVay's late sister-in-law, the widow of his brother, J. Fayron McVay. The University of Montevallo was willed $50,000 for a home economics scholarship in memory of Azile McVay, a 1931 graduate of Montevallo. An interesting side note is Azile McVay's relationship to outlaw Jesse James. Her grandfather, J. G. Norris of Selma, was a first cousin to Jesse and Frank James and the brothers frequently visited in Selma. Jesse James artifacts In 2004, after Azile's death, Wilburn McVay donated cuffs and gold cuff links that had belonged to Jesse James to the Clarke County Museum, along with an original photo of Jesse James, newspaper clippings and other artifacts. The South Alabamian did a story on the donation at the time. It can be read on the newspaper's Web site, www.southalabamian. com. A search for "Jesse James" will pinpoint the article. Other donations detailed in Wilburn McVay's will include $25,000 to the Alabama Baptist Children's Home. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association received separate gifts of $25,000 and $2,000. Friends received personal items too Jackson friends and relatives, as well as cousins in other parts of the country, received cash gifts totaling over $100,000 as well as personal items such as a car, tools, an electric typewriter, a 12-gauge shotgun and a record player.
"Wilburn's generosity to the community should be appreciated," said Melton DuBose. "He was a good man."
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