Becoming Santa and Mrs. Claus

Local couple rises to the role

No, Donnie LeGrand didn’t push Santa Claus off a roof.

That might be one avenue of becoming Santa according to the movie “The Santa Clause,” but it didn’t happen that way for Donnie and his wife, Mrs. Claus, who goes by Gera throughout the rest of the year.

But one thing is sure: Donnie says you don’t choose Santa. Santa chooses you.

For Donnie — who resides in Benton, Missouri, when he’s not at the North Pole — it started with growing his beard for deer season during No Shave November in 2015. At the request of his son’s girlfriend who wanted him to keep it until after her high school basketball team went to the state championship, he didn’t shave it in December, either. People started commenting about it, and he decided to keep it. On a whim in November 2016, he bought a Santa suit and says the rest “blossomed from there.” The next year, they were asked by the Knights of Columbus if they could listen to children’s Christmas requests at a local Breakfast with Santa. The LeGrands said yes, and became Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Mrs. Claus gets ready to make a home visit. It takes them approximately one hour to get ready before visiting with children.Ben Matthews - Southeast Missourian

“It really is fun,” says Donnie, who describes himself as a reserved person. “That’s the biggest thing. Because I never dreamed that we would be doing this.”

This year, the LeGrands have a dozen or so events at which they will be Santa and Mrs. Claus. They also do a few home visits to children each year. They keep in their special Santa and Mrs. Claus bag all of the lists and presents children bring them. One of their favorite presents? A pretty rock a little girl found that she told her mom she was going to give to Santa when she saw him the next day.

Santa gets ready to make a home visit. Ben Matthews - Southeast Missourian

The LeGrands have many anecdotes like that, stories the couple treasures. For example: when visiting their niece’s second grade classroom, one student during the group photo whispered in Santa’s ear that all she wanted for Christmas was glasses so she could see. Afterward, Santa talked with the teachers, and they were able to get her the correct prescription.

“That made it all worthwhile,” Donnie says. “Just to see their little eyes; they’re so excited. … That’s pretty cool.”

The LeGrands also walked into a grocery store once while dressed in their Santa and Mrs. Claus garb, and the employees came over to get their photo with them. And because he keeps his beard year-round, when the LeGrands are in restaurants, children often wave to them or come up to talk with them throughout the year. Donnie keeps coins in his pocket that say “I caught you being good” to give to children when they come over to say hi. He says he tells the children, “You never know. You’ve got to be good all the time; Santa’s everywhere.”

“They believe, and they’re just so in awe,” Gera says.

When it’s not Christmas Eve, you might just catch Santa and Mrs. Claus driving around town in their truck; Donnie says the reindeer have to stay at the North Pole throughout the rest of the year to eat and exercise in preparation for their big night. And what can you find Mr. and Mrs. Claus doing throughout the rest of the year?

“We’re just regular people,” Gera says. “We’re just regular, working people.”

Santa and Mrs. Claus, who reside in Benton, Missouri, when not at the North Pole, visit with Avery Davidson, 5, and Emmett Kershaw, 3, at Diana Kershaw’s home in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.Ben Matthews ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

To style his beard, Donnie says he washes and towel dries it. When he is getting ready to see children officially as Santa, he curls it with a curling iron and uses hair spray to keep it in place. He uses wax to style his handlebar mustache. He has real leather boots with a brass and leather belt that he wears, and he brings with him his magic key that only works on Christmas Eve to show to children. Gera dons a red and green checked dress, apron, bonnet, shawl, boots and red glasses for events. It usually takes them approximately an hour to get ready.

They say the trend in children’s wish lists the past few years has included electronics and pets. And if you’re wondering which types of cookies to leave out for Santa this year, he says his favorite is chocolate chip. Mrs. Claus likes snickerdoodles.

The two have both always loved Christmas; they put up an 11- to 13-foot tree in their home each year.

“For me, it goes back to just the reason for the season, that that’s whenever God came down and joined us here on earth,” Gera says. “But growing up where I did in a simple little community, just the home traditions of Christmas and putting up the real tree [mean a lot to me].”

So, if one is aspiring to the position of Santa Claus, how do you get the gig?

For any kids wondering, it might just start with growing a beard.

Avery Davidson explains the face sparkles she hopes to receive for Christmas to Santa and Mrs. Claus.Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian