Tulsa Man Uses Halloween Decorations To Visually Represent COVID-19 Deaths

A Tulsa man who goes all-out with decorations every Halloween said this year, he’s using his front yard to give people a visual representation of the numbers of COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma.

More than 1,000 wooden crosses are planted in Toby Gregory's front yard, representing Oklahomans who have died from the virus, according to state health department data. Part of the display also shows a grim reaper, with a pile of crosses pouring out onto the ground.  

"This is his holiday,” Marc Carlson, Gregory’s neighbor, said.  

Carlson said he has lived in the neighborhood for six years, and knows, Halloween is Gregory's time to shine.  

Gregory was at work Tuesday and not available for an on-camera interview but said on the phone, "These are lives. These are facts. This is a visual of the number we see every day."  

He said he has been decorating his front yard for Halloween for about the last five years and includes a haunted maze for the trick-or-treaters. 

"In prior years it's been a really fun atmosphere, a fun area, all the houses will have a Halloween party get together,” neighbor Lauren Fleenor said. "This year, you know, that's just really not possible and it's a much more somber time." 

She said she sees her next-door neighbor's display as a show of respect and has noticed more people coming through the neighborhood to see the so-called "Louhaven Cemetery" near 12th and Louisville.   

"He's managed this year to kind of not only conjoin fun, but seriousness and bring it together in a way that I really can appreciate,” Carlson said.  

Gregory said he can't take all the credit. His dad helped him a lot, especially with the painting. All together he estimates spending more than 200 hours on this year's project.