PRATTVILLE, Ala. — The famous “Go to church or the Devil will get you!” sign will be returning to the roadside of I-65 north of Prattville after an almost month-long absence. In the second week of September, a storm knocked over the sign, causing many in the state to wonder what happened to the famous Alabama icon.
One of Alabama’s most recognizable signs was erected many years ago by a construction contractor named W.S. “Billy” Newell on his property that parallels I-65. According to an Associated Pres report, Newell put up the sign because he had a “strong belief in God and he loved America.”
Newell passed away in 2009, but his family has worked to maintain the sign ever since. His sons, Sam and Keith, now run W.S. Newell Construction in Montgomery, and their executive assistant told Al.com that the sign would be fixed today.
“It’s going back up,” Benita Hunt, executive assitant, told Al.com. “We just haven’t had time to get out there.”
Although the sign was knocked over by the storm in September, it did not sustain any serious damage.
