Shirley King’s husband, Bob, was a professional Santa Claus, and she was often at his side, playing the role of Mrs. Claus.
They had costumes from Adele’s of Hollywood, and Bob let his hair and beard grow long.
“We had a lot of fun,” Shirley said.
But then, in 2012, Bob died, and Shirley was left alone to spread the Christmas spirit.
“After he passed away, I wondered, ‘Is there a place in this world for a Mrs. Claus without a Santa?’” she said.
The answer to that question, Shirley discovered, was yes. She was the star of Storytime with Mrs. Claus on Tuesday afternoon at the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center.
“I’ve found a niche at Storytime,” said Shirley, who also performs as Mrs. Claus at other events.
Approximately 290 people showed up for Storytime, which is designed for youngsters 8 years old and younger.
“Children love Mrs. Claus because she’s happy and she loves them,” Shirley said. “She brings joy and hope, and she is a symbol of everything that is good about Christmas. She bakes cookies, too, and that could be the biggest thing.”
Dressed in a festive outfit that included a red hat with gold trim and a red skirt, Shirley read books, recited the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” and did a magic trick that featured a big scarf with Santa on it. She also sang “Jingle Bells” and invited the children to join in, which they did enthusiastically.
At the end of the Storytime, the youngsters received copies of a book to take home and also got to eat cookies and drink juice.
“Even if Santa isn’t here, we can have a good time,” Shirley said.
Attendance was up from 2013, according to Sam Radford. She is the recreation program coordinator for the City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department, which is in charge of Storytime.
“Last year, there were 250 or so people here,” Radford said.
Megan Berry, of North Augusta, brought her children, Hannah Berry and Jacob Lott, to Storytime with Mrs. Claus for the second year in a row. Hannah, 2, wore a headband with a Christmas tree on it, and Jacob, 4, wore a headband decorated with reindeer antlers.
“They enjoy hearing Mrs. Claus read; it’s something different from Santa,” Megan said. “They like books, and they like the idea that they’re going to be given one. Jacob also is hoping to get a cookie.”
Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the newspaper since January 2013. A native of Concord, N.C., she is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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