‘Rufus Claus’ gives his brother Santa a break in southwest Georgia

ASHBURN — As Ben Baker walked to work one day, a child playing in a yard along his path said, “That’s Santa Claus.”

The mother, watching her children, said, “No, it’s not.”

“That’s Santa Claus,” the tot insisted.

Baker chuckled quietly to himself and kept walking down the road to his office at The Wiregrass Farmer newspaper. It was not the first time he was mistaken for the Jolly Old Elf. Something about that incident, though, stuck with him and spurred him to action a year later.

Baker reached out to Robert MacLeod, a long-time friend in the Washington, D.C. area. MacLeod has connections with people who can sew. That led to Baker talking to one of MacLeod’s church family members. An official custom-made Santa suit was soon in the making.

Measurements were sent. Material was selected. And about a month later, a package arrived from Virginia with the complete Santa suit inside.

“Christmas all over again,” Baker said. “I was as excited as any kid might be on Christmas Day. I get to be Santa.”

Well, not quite Santa. Michael Brooks, a lifelong friend and brother living in Tallahassee, Fla., reminded Baker there can be only one Santa.

“Rufus Claus,” Brooks said, taking Baker’s middle name and using that instead.

“So, there you go. I put on the suit and I’m Rufus Claus, Santa’s younger brother,” Baker said.

Being mistaken for Santa is a common thing these days. Little children on the school bus Baker occasionally drives ask him if he is Santa. He explains he’s actually Rufus Claus.

“They get on the bus, no matter what time of year or month and they say, ‘I remember you. You’re Santa’s little brother.’ That’s funny,” Baker said.

Children out in public commonly mistake Baker for the North Pole resident as well.

“One young man caught me in a buffet line one day and asked if I am Santa,” Baker said. “I leaned over and whispered, ‘Please don’t tell anyone. I’m trying to hide for a day.’ He though that was so cool. It’s the beard. It used to be a mixture of red and black. Now it’s mostly going white and grey, except it’s not grey. It’s chrome siding. Chrome comes on all the classic models.”

Being a Santa’s helper is something the newspaper editor really enjoys. He said it is for the kids and the adults; Christmas is for everybody.

“The funny part is I’m sitting there, big sign that says ‘FREE PICTURES’ and adults walk right past me,” Rufus Claus said. “They turn their heads so they don’t have to look. I laugh every time. But the best part is the kids, and the adults, who come up to hug me. It just does not get any better than that. I love it.”

Baker doesn’t charge for Rufus Clause appearances, if he can work it into his schedule. He can be reached at The Wiregrass Farmer newspaper at (229) 567-3655.

Special Photo