Forever Friends - March 26, 2011 These Four Young Men I Met, Less Than 24 Hours Later - DEAD

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
[email protected]
334-790-1729
Date: Apr 02 2012 12:30 AM

DOTHAN:    On Saturday Marsha and I, along with our 14 year old Spencer and three of his buddies traveled to Panama City Beach Florida to check into the condo for our 17 year old Rehobeth High School Senior John Curtis.

John Curtis and some friends are spending their 2012 Senior Spring Break at Panama City. We are then returning to Lake Eufaula where Spencer and his three buddies are staying at the lake.

When we returned from Panama City and before going to the lake, Marsha and I, along with a former fellow staff member of mine met with Matthew Roe’s mother and aunt. They were traveling through Dothan and going to Panama City Florida for a few days.

You see, March 26, 2011, Matthew Roe, Alex Bauer, Evan Weaver and Riley Zimmer left their home town in Indiana to travel to Panama City Beach Florida to spend their 2011 Senior High School spring break. The four guys were seniors at Angola High School in Indiana.

Due to some minor complications the four young men had, Andrew Turner and I had the distinct opportunity to meet these four young men. They were very much gentleman and very respectful. Andrew was with them longer than I was. But I will never forgot the day I saw these four handsome young men, took time to shake their hands and chat with them. We talked about their trip to the beach and the fun they had.

The next day I received very shocking news from Andrew. As the four young men were traveling on I-65 near Clanton, a mini van crossed the median and struck the car these four young men were traveling in. All four were killed instantly.

Matthew’s mother wanted to make the trip  from Indiana to Panama City. She had a desire to meet people that saw her son and his friends on their last trip. It was a humbling and special time to meet his mom and aunt.

She showed us pictures of Matthew and his family. She shared with us photos from birth to days before he was killed. He has one sister. They, much like my family, enjoyed the lake.  She shared pictures of Matthew skiing.

Matthew, Alex, Evan and Riley were all good friends. Growing up together. The school they attended, Angola High School has about 900 students. Matthew and Riley played football at the school.

Andrew, Marsha and I enjoyed our visit. We enjoyed learning more about the young men. We enjoyed meeting Matthew’s mom and aunt. And as Andrew said to them, we do not know what to say, except, you had four well respected and mannered sons.

It was a distinct honor and pleasure for me to have met them. While the visit was brief, it was a memory I will always cherish. She gave both Andrew and I pictures of the boys – Forever Friends. It will be framed and displayed in my office.

The meeting also brought anxiety to me. Having just checked our son, a senior in a condo for the week in Panama City beach. Much like Matthews mom said, she text Matthew every day. On Thursday the text read from Matthew to his mother, ALIVE – ALIVE – ALIVE. For I too am keeping text messages to John Curtis several times a day. When Spencer and his buddies are on the lake, we text message checking on them. And text messages to our daughter Emily who is in Dothan. It brings anxiety.

The final text on his phone, was one of his buddies was using the phone to text his girlfriend. The text read, I can text “Roe is asleep”. Some of her consolation is, Matthew was asleep and never realized what happened.

Life is short. Andrew and I never thought, that day would be the last day Matthew Roe, Alex Bauer, Evan Weaver and Riley Zimmer would be alive. In the time I met these fine young men, they never realized, this was their last day.

With that said, I must…

I can not close this article without these final thoughts. Life is short, and in a blink of an eye, your life can be over. It was for these four young men.

After a week of fun, weeks from walking the isle for graduation, their lives were taken. ( By the way they all graduated and got diplomas. There were four empty chairs for them and friends made the walk and received their high school diplomas ).

We never know what the next hours will bring.

There is a heaven and hell. There is life after death. Please let me encourage you, no matter what age, no matter where you are in life, please reach out to someone and discuss your Christian walk and be prepared should your life end suddenly, without warning as these four young people did.

I encourage you to call my pastor, Brother Jim Tate, at 334-677-5387. Brother Jim has been my pastor for 3 years. He is a good man, a man of GOD.  He will discuss Christ with you and lead you through eternal life. He is not a condemning man, but a spiritual man who knows the Bible and the gift of eternal life.

Brother Jim was a banker. GOD called him from banking to full time ministry. With a wife and two children, he left the security to his banking job, attending seminary. After several years in the ministry, he came to Memphis Baptist Church as our pastor.

Talk to Brother Jim or seek out a GODLY preacher and make sure that, if you are a Matthew Roe, Alex Bauer, Evan Weaver or Riley Zimmer, and your life gets stopped without warning, your spiritual life is in order.

Thanks for allowing me to share this with you. It is for real. I met these four people, and in less than 24 hours later…they were all dead.

Rickey Stokes

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