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Newton Falls woman becomes Mrs. Claus

Tribune Chronicle / R. Michael Semple When Carol Baker of Newton Falls retired from the Newton Falls Public Library, the thought of Christmas without being around kids made her sad. So she went to school to learn the craft of being Mrs. Claus. She spends a lot of time visiting children, reading them stories and hearing wish lists between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of Saturday profiles of area residents and their stories. To suggest a Trumbull County resident, contact Features Editor Burton Cole at bcole@tribtoday.com.

NEWTON FALLS — Carol Baker has two personalities. Most of the time, she is a wife and mother of two adult children in Newton Falls.

She is Mrs. Santa Claus the rest of the time.

“I started being Mrs. Claus in 2014,” said Baker, 66. “I was getting ready to retire from the Newton Falls library. It was right before Christmastime. I have no grandchildren. The thought of Christmas without children was kind of sad.”

Then she saw an article in the Tribune Chronicle about the C.W. Howard Santa Claus School in Michigan.

“I said to my husband, ‘This is what I am doing with my retirement!'”

One of her favorite stories as Mrs. Claus is from the year she was teamed with Santa at the Crandall Medical Center in Sebring.

“There was a woman in a reclining wheelchair. She was expressionless and nonresponsive. I went up to her and said, ‘Santa’s coming. Merry Christmas!’

“Santa came up behind her. He held her hand. He said, ‘This is Santa. I want to wish you a Merry Christmas.’

“The lady got this very slow smile on her face. Her two daughters started sobbing and hugging us. They were taking pictures. It turns out that woman had had no responses to stimulation in two years. That memory of Santa was so deep from childhood that she smiled.

“The daughters said this was the best Christmas ever. Santa and I were trying not to cry. It is so wonderful to be able to bring that happiness, that joy and that magic to people’s lives.”

BECOMING

MRS. CLAUS

Baker said it takes more than an hour to put on the costume and get into character. Depending on the appearance, she may or may not get paid.

“I do a lot of charities free. If I do story programs at libraries, I get a little bit. Some home visits I get paid.

“Let’s put it this way — this is a business, but it’s not. I spend a lot more money than I make. Going to school costs money. Clothing costs money. This

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