Twin sisters Irene Crump and Phyllis Jones have recently celebrated their 100th birthday. The twins were born 25 minutes apart on November 20, 1916, and they have spent a whole century together.
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Secret to a Long Life
They attended the same school, had the same first job at Steatite Porcelain Products, and now even live together in Stourport, Worcester.
They say that they often celebrate their birthdays together. According to Irene, the younger of the two, their secret to a long life is hard work and good food.
The twins have always been very close, and they have each other’s first name for their middle name. They had an elder sister, Dorothy, who was also a twin, but her sister passed away during childbirth.
Dorothy died at the age of 92 in 2006. Irene and Phyllis were both married. Irene’s husband, Samuel Crump, died in 1999, and Phyllis’ husband, Ray Jones, passed away in 2006. After Ray’s death, Phyllis moved in with her sister.
Irene never had any children, and Phyllis has a 58-year-old son, Carl Jones. Carl and his wife, Patricia, frequently visit and phone the two sisters.
They always look after both of them, especially since Phyllis has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. Even though the twins are not identical, they look remarkably similar.
However, Carl says that they have totally different personalities. According to Carl, Irene is very careful and methodical while Phyllis is impetuous and hasty.
Irene and Phyllis are considered to be one of only six sets of centenarian twins in the United Kingdom.
The twin sisters celebrated their milestone birthday with a Sunday roast and 48 close friends and family members at the Lenchford Inn, where they go out for lunch most Fridays.
They didn’t want any birthday gifts. Instead, they asked for donations for the air ambulance.
