Oldest Triplets In U.S. Celebrate 95th Birthday

They lived through the Great Depression and World War II. They experienced both Pearl Harbor and September 11.

And on Saturday, the country’s oldest living triplets, including one from Pennsylvania, rang in 95 years together during a celebration in New York. The trio’s family say they may even be the world’s oldest living triplets.

Dressed in matching blouses, triplets Catherine, Frances and Marguerite Kirchner told WNYT that their birth was a total surprise to their mother, who thought she was just having just one baby.

Their parents were “shocked,” first born triplet Catherine said. They were born on Aug. 23, 1920 in Brooklyn.

The sisters said it is a “rare occasion” for them to get together. They did it for their 90th birthday and again this month to celebrate their 95th birthday. Catherine and Frances live in separate cities in New York, and Marguerite lives in Allentown, Pa.

In the interview with WNYT, the trio recalled they were always in the same class. “She was the first born and she got all the brains,” Marguerite said of her elder sister Catherine. All three became teachers.

The trio credits eating healthy, staying active and “good genes” for their longevity.

The occasion was bittersweet, however.

“I don’t know that we’ll ever get together again. It was a real challenge to get together for this occasion, but we decided we’d do it,” Catherine said.

(Photo: YouTube)