Sentimental Sunday: When Santa Wore a Beard Made from a Mop

Pictured above are my husband and I with our cousins Mary Clyde and her husband June, who live in Georgia. Since I married into the Paul family, Mary Clyde has been so very kind to share lots of the Paul family heritage with me. Below is a story that Mary Clyde recently told me. It involves a Christmas time spent in Germany, when her father, Clyde Paul, was serving in the Army during World War Two. To set the scene, here is a picture of Uncle Clyde and Aunt Mary, when Uncle Clyde was still in military service.

Here is the story of the Christmas in 1944, as retold by Clyde Paul's daughter, Mary Clyde.

Another Christmas story was when Daddy was in the middle of the Battle of the Bulge during WWII in Germany - the Christmas of 1944.  On Christmas Eve Daddy & several Army buddies were holed up in a bombed out home that still had the family living there.  The children of the family asked the soldiers to celebrate Christmas with the family which they did.  Daddy said Santa visited the children that night - he was wearing an old red suit with a beard made from a mop and all he brought the children were cookies made with NO sugar (since sugar was in short supply).  The children gladly shared their cookies with the soldiers.  Daddy said that was the best cookie ever.

Uncle Clyde and Aunt Mary opened their home to us many a time when we traveled the many miles from Ohio to Georgia. They loved me as though I had been born a Paul, not just someone who married into the family. I cherish this story, and feel very lucky to have married into such a wonderful family! I can only imagine what the "Santa" looked like, with a beard made from a mop!






































 


Correction: Uncle Clyde's grandson Andy informed us that his grandfather was serving in France in 1944,  not in Germany. Thanks for letting us know, Andy!