YEAR: 1979

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: September

DATE: 6

STATE: Oklahoma

COUNTY: Delaware County

LOCATION DETAILS: This incident occurred at Jumper Cemetary, Hwy 20 east, turn right and cross the cattleguard and proceed to the cemetary at the bottom of the hill; approximately 1 mile. I repeat though, that this animal had come from the direction of town and must have been, from first hearing the sound, just outside of town. I have often wondered if it were going through people's garbage looking for food.

NEAREST TOWN: Jay, Oklahoma

NEAREST ROAD: State highway 20

OBSERVED: The incident that I am reporting occurred at Jumper Cemetary, Jay Oklahoma in 1979. Jumper Cemetary is located east of Jay on Hwy 20, then turn on the first dirt road to the right, and follow it to its end approximately 1 mile to the bottom of the hill.

One evening in September of 1979, my friend and I were sitting at Jumper Cemetary about dark on a full moonlit night.

As we were sitting there, I heard the sound that I thought was a deer walking down the ridge. I told my friend, "Listen! There's a deer coming down the hill."

We sat there and listened as the sound made it's way down the ridge from town. The west side of the cemetary has trees grown up along the fence row for about half the distance of the west side. A little further down is a platform between two huge oak trees used to place food on when they are having funerals. The sound came to the bottom of the holler on the west side of the cemetary. The cemetary is enclosed by a hog-wire/barbed wire fence about 4 ft tall.

Then the sound proceeded to come up the hill between the trees along the fence row and the platform for food. As we listened to this sound come toward us, we were incredulous as we saw a large hairy man looking thing walk up to the fence and step over it. We watched as the animal (it stank tremendously) walked across the cemetary toward a huge tree in the middle. As it came under this tree, its head was just below its lowest branch.

Apparently, at this time it became aware of us, as it turned its head and looked over its right shoulder at us. When it saw us, it didn't run, but it began to walk very fast toward the southern border of the cemetary. When it got there, it, again stepped over the fence. When it got to the timber, it crashed through the trees making a terrible racket.

I looked at my friend and asked him if he had saw what I had. He replied that he thought that he had.

I had never mentioned this to anyone for fear of being ridiculed, because not only did we see what we took to be a "Bigfoot", but the one that we saw was white. Some ten years later, I was teaching at Kenwood, located in the extreme western portion of central Delaware County. We were watching a video called "Legends of the Ozarks". This video recreated a scene that supposedly happened near Fayetteville, Arkansas. This recreation showed exactly what my friend and I had seen. Thereafter, I spoke about this incident to some of my elderly friends and relatives who have lived in the area all of their lives. Some of them also admitted to having seen this beast at some point in the past, but like me had never said anything due to the fear of being ridiculed.

I know what I saw; it doesn't matter if I am believed or not. I myself was incredulous at the time. My mind had a hard time accepting what my eyes were seeing. I can see this in my mind today, just as if it had happened moments ago.

ALSO NOTICED: The smell was terrible and the animal was white. It looks just like the recreation on "Legends of the Ozarks".

OTHER WITNESSES: My friend

OTHER STORIES: Several in the general area as told by family.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: This was early evening between 8-9 p.m on a bright moonlit night.

ENVIRONMENT: Oak, maple, hardwood, mixed with pine.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Sybilla Irwin:

After speaking with this very credible, articulate witness, these details can be added:

• The creature they saw was approximately 8ft tall and weighed 350lbs or more. It was muscular and “filled-out”.

• He described it as having a gorilla-like neck that was thick and muscular. When it turned to look at them over its right shoulder, it had to twist its torso. Its shoulder width was approximately 3 ½ feet wide. Its proportions were man-like with the exception of the arms, which were longer, and the torso which appeared to be longer than the legs. No facial features were seen.

• The odor was described as a strong musky, dirty hair smell, like nothing he’s ever smelled before.

• After detecting them, it moved away quickly; breaking tree limbs and being aggressively noisy upon reaching the tree line. An entirely different demeanor was displayed from its earlier soft padded approach.

• This sighting location is within miles of the Kenwood Reserve area which is an area of Delaware County that is 6 miles north and south and 12 miles east and west, which is held in trust for the Cherokee Nation by the US government. It is bordered by 10,000 plus acres of City of Tulsa land, and just south of Lake Eucha is the 14,316 acre Spavinaw Wildlife Management Area.

Also of note: The witness reported there was a huge wave of sightings in 1974 in the Jay and Kenwood areas of the county.

About BFRO Investigator Sybilla Irwin:

• Bachelor of Arts Degree from Texas A&M University

• Self employed Artist

• Professional stained glass artist and teacher.

• Professional Artist

• Fine artist. (Oils, pastels, & watercolor) Wildlife, Portraiture, Landscape, and sketches of Sasquatch for investigators and witnesses.

• Attended Texas Expedition 2008, Colorado Expedition 2008, Oklahoma Expedition 2008 and numerous private expeditions. She has attended: Michigan UP Expedition 2009, Utah Expedition 2009,Wyoming Expedition 2009, Colorado Expedition 2009 attended the Oklahoma Expedition 2009. In 2010 she attendee BFRO 'Investigator Only' expeditions in Texas and Colorado. She attended the
Colorado Expedition 2011. She Co-lead the BFRO's first all female expedition held in November Texas Expedition 2011. She lead and organized the recent Texas Expedition 2012.

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