www.thepapersonline.com
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Serving Kosciusko County and parts of Elkhart, Marshall & Noble Counties es Know Your Neighbor . . . . . . . . . 2➤ ➤ Silver Lake Christmas . . . . . . . 6 Wrap Up The Holidays . . . . . 7-9 Pierceton Christmas Wishes . . 11 1 Merry Christmas from Etna Green . . . . . . . . . 16 Vol. 52, No. 25
Milford (574) 658-4111 • Warsaw (574) 269-2932 • Syracuse (574) 457-3666
114 W. Market, Warsaw, Indiana 46580
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Gerald Cox spreads a little Christmas cheer as Santa %\ /$85(1 =(8*1(5 (GLWRU Gerald Cox has a wonderful superpower; the ability to simply walk into a restaurant and watch as any rambunctious children quickly find their seats. They may even start to eat the vegetables on their plate. How is he able to aid parents in this manner? He really does look like Santa Claus, even when he’s dressed casually, and he steps in for the Jolly Old Elf. Cox has a passion for acting and theater going back to his college days, where he majored in radio and TV production and minored in acting. His playing Santa follows a family tradition, as his dad was Santa at Walmart for a number of years. Cox has been playing Santa around the area and up in Cadillac, Mich., for about 10 years. One of his first appearances was at the Warsaw Community Public Library where his wife, Beth Anne Brink-Cox, was working. He came in for another Santa who couldn’t make it due to an emergency. He played Santa at the library for a number of years, with Beth Anne providing him the names of the children.
And being an actor, Cox can put his improv skills to work. “We always try to keep up with the trends in toys,” Beth Anne said. This year there have been a lot of requests for Squishy Mello, along with classics like Barbie and LEGOs. Hoverboards are also popular. Beth Anne has joined in the fun, playing Mrs. Claus. She said their favorite are the babies, with Mrs. Claus making sure she’s holding them. “I make her give them back,” Cox joked. The couple spent Thanksgiving weekend in Cadillac, making several appearances. “This year there was such a crowd and yelling. It made you feel like a rock star,” Cox said. The couple’s connection to Cadillac goes back several years. They used to live there and Beth Anne worked at a Christian camp in the area for 30 years. The pastor who married the couple asked if Gerald would be Santa and he agreed. He has also starred as Santa in two productions of “Elf” at the Wagon Wheel Theater. “That’s the thing. It’s a magical thing for the kids,” he said. “They’re little Continued on page 3
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