YEAR: 1964

SEASON: Unknown

STATE: Texas

COUNTY: Polk County

NEAREST TOWN: Livingston

OBSERVED: When I was approx. 10 years old, I went with my best friend Doug and his mother to a small cemetery in the Big Thicket east of Livingston. Doug had had a little brother who died at birth and was buried there. His mom had asked if I wanted to go with them to visit the grave. Just after she had finished putting some flowers on the grave and saying a little prayer, we were turning to go back to the car when we heard something crash at the edge of the woods behind the cemetery. We looked back and saw a large, dark, hairy creature standing right behind the back fence of the cemetery -- maybe 50 yards away. Mrs. Jones screamed and the creature gave a loud grunt and shuffled back into the woods -- kind of a half-waddle, half-trot. Mrs. Jones told us to get in the car quick, which we did. Doug said she never went back to the cemetery again.

ENVIRONMENT: Pine Forest in the East Texas Big Thicket. Plenty of creeks nearby.