TUNNELTON — In honor of their sons, Justin and Darrell Jr., Darrell and Gloria Stevenson visited more than 300 children this holiday season.
“We lost both of our boys and the holidays are rough on us,” Gloria said. “We were pretty depressed and thought maybe we could find a way to help someone else and ourselves as well.”
Justin Stevenson died in 2008 at age 19, and Darrell Jr. in 2014 at age 28 of cancer.
Darrell said, four years ago, his wife wanted him to put lights on their Harley and dress up as Santa and Mrs. Santa.
“I thought it was a little off the wall,” he said. “But I started decorating our bike.”
The couple became Santa and Mrs. Santa to the neighborhood kids, and the word spread. Now they are Santa and Mrs. Santa to children in Monongalia and Preston counties.
Gloria said people even post sightings of them on the Mon-Preston Rumor Mill.
Children aren’t the only ones visited by Santa.
“We went to the hospital to see my sister. We were leaving her room, when a man with a little boy and girl asked us if we could go to his wife’s room,” Gloria said. “She had stage 4 breast cancer and was crying. For Christmas, she wanted a picture of her children with Santa.
“Two days before, she was taking the kids to get photos with Santa and they were in an automobile accident. They didn’t make it because she broke her collar bone. We took pictures of her and her kids with Santa.”
Darrell said a little boy about 4 years old was at the Reedsville Dairy Queen with his parents eating lunch.
“We pulled up and knocked on the window. The little boy’s mouth came open and his chin dropped. We didn’t say anything. We just waved and pulled out,” he said.
Darrell said people follow them down the road to get pictures of them and the Harley. He said one individual chased them from Monongalia County to Preston County.
“A few days later, I went to the hospital with bronchitis. The same man who had chased us from Mon to Preston was the doctor who took care of me. He took out his phone and showed us the picture he had taken of us,” Darrell said.
Gloria said she and Darrell have happy memories of their children and want others to see Christmas as a happy time.
“We want to spread a little cheer and make Christmas special,” she said. “The smiles and joy we get in return and the surprised looks on people’s faces is payment enough.”
