Our son’s name is Jon Mathew Graefser. He was blessed to have had the opportunity to hunt with The 1687 Foundation. 

At the time we were contacted by Jerry from the foundation, Jon was 13-years-old and was actively battling medulloblastoma (terminal brain cancer) for the second time of his short life.

We were travelling back and forth to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN for experimental treatment. About seven months prior to being contacted by Jerry, Jon’s cancer had unexpectedly returned after almost five years in remission. We were given a grim prognosis of zero chance of survival and about twelve months left with Jon by his medical team. We were crushed, facing our worst nightmare.

But,  Jon wasn’t going down without a fight so he was participating in a few trials at St. Jude's, mainly radiation and chemotherapy, to kill, stop or slow down the disease. This is when Jon made a bucket list. There was so much he wanted to do, like go hunting. He had never hunted before so he wanted to experience it.

Jon was over the moon when Jerry reached out to us and immediately accepted the generous offer to hunt on their ranch. So, when Jon had a little break from treatment, we showed up at the ranch one weekend and let me tell you, we had no idea what God had in store for us. The few days we spent at the ranch was a bright light to the darkness that we were in.

All the staff immediately met us with open arms. It felt as though we had known them forever and were already family. Not only was the property breathtaking, but you could feel the goodness of what God was doing there.

That weekend took us away from our reality for a bit and allowed us to have so many beautiful moments with Jon. An afternoon at their one of a kind car museum was at the top of Jon’s favorite outings.

A giant accomplishment was when Jon took his fear of heights by the horns and overcame it by getting on a helicopter. He had an absolute BLAST! The “WOOHOO!!!!” heard over the headset was a dead giveaway of his off the charts excitement. The several competitive ping pong matches with him were also memorable. But hands down, the best experience was Jon being able to successfully hunt and take down his 497 lb. African Gemsbok. It was a morning we will never forget. Jon could hardly believe he got a perfect shot. He was beyond proud of himself.

Even though he was worn out throughout our stay, (mainly from the harsh treatment he was on) he was so happy at the ranch! Six months later, Jon was made whole when he entered Heaven on Feb. 6, 2021. He is now in the presence of the King of kings! I can honestly say that we walked into the foundation as strangers and walked out with more than we could have ever hoped for.We are eternally grateful to everyone at the ranch.

We can’t thank you all enough for the continued support, love and for continuing to honor our warrior in the way that you do. Jerry,  Justin,  Ralph, Darrel and Mike—I hope you all know how special you were to Jon—and to us. A special thanks to the one who made this all possible, she knows who she is. I know Jon’s legacy will live on through all the lives he touched, especially at the ranch.

Claudia Graefser, Mother of Jon Mathew