Many parents mark the milestones in their own lives with the important events in the lives of their children. One small group of parents from Brewton mark each December as another year without their children.
This year marks 23 years since four Brewton men were killed in a tragic car accident just north of Brewton on a cold, wet December morning.
Wayne Stallworth was killed in an accident along with twins John and Sean Miller and their brother Thomas Miller Jr. on Dec. 14, 1987.
None of the parents of these young men could have imagined they would never see their children again when they last left home. Those parents will forever remember that day as a milestone in their lives and the end of the lives of their children.
As the anniversary of the deaths of teens so filled with promise comes around again, it is a reminder that each one of us should cherish the moments we have been given with loved ones, young and old alike.
The four students who were graduates of W.S. Neal High School had moved on to attend college with Thomas and Sean Miller attending Troy State University on athletic scholarships and John Miller and Wayne Stallworth attending Albany State on athletic scholarships.
The young men have been memorialized with a special park created by Stallworth’s mother, Pearl.
Miss Pearl, as she is known around the community, works constantly to maintain the park named Wayne Stallworth Memorial Mini-Park in honor of her son and the friends who died with him that December 23 years ago.
Through the years vandals and fire have devastated the park, but Miss Pearl never gives up on the park that keeps the memory of the foursome alive for a community who suffered from their loss.
As the Stallworth and Miller family remember their loved ones this year, many other families will also be remembering lost loved ones during what may be a difficult season.
As we remember the four lives lost much too soon it is important to remember those they left behind. The holiday season that is upon us is also a perfect time to remember those who have also lost loved ones during this time of year. Those losses can make a season that should be filled with joy and hope difficult at best.
As we enter into the holy season of Christmas, it is my hope that those in the community will pause for a moment and pray for peace and comfort for those grieving this year. May the blessings and wonder of the holiday season and the remembrance of Christ’s birth bring peace to those who so desperately need it this year.

Lisa Tindell is news editor of The Brewton Standard. She can be reached at lisa.tindell@brewtonstandard.com.