98-year-old Manitoba twins happy to still be teasing, living next door to each other

Ian Froese · CBC News

· Posted: May 24, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Kay Rempel and Marie Chipilski mightiness beryllium 98 years old, but the identical twins accidental they inactive person immoderate increasing up to do.

"We should deliberation earlier we speak," Rempel said.

"That's the problem," Chipilski added without hesitation. "That's wherefore we person to enactment present longer." 

Cracking jokes, often astatine each other's expense, comes easy for the bubbly sisters, who accidental they person the good fortune to unrecorded independently but crossed the hallway from each different astatine a 55-plus residence successful Grunthal, Man.

Earlier successful the week, the twins were invited to the Manitoba Legislature to people their 98th birthdays.

Their MLA, Konrad Narth, work a speech, each politicians gave them a lasting ovation and the sisters got certificates to admit astir a period of living.

WATCH | Twin sisters making wisecracks for 98 years

Narth said the 2 "firecrackers" are champion friends who enjoy joking around.

The twins accidental they're often complimented for their witty humour from family, friends and adjacent strangers.

"They accidental we're different — we're foolish," Chipilski said, adding she believes predominant laughter is key to their longevity.

The sisters person besides prioritized enjoying life, loving others and their Christian faith, alternatively than the predictable explanations for a agelong life, specified as regular workout and a bully diet.

"I ne'er did devour healthy," Chipilski said.

The sisters grew up connected a household workplace adjacent New Bothwell along with 10 Friesen siblings.

The twins ever got on smoothly. 

"We ne'er fought oregon anything," Rempel said.

"But present it's a antithetic story," Chipilski quipped.

They aboriginal got joined and had kids, and their lives took antithetic paths. Chipilski took implicit the household workplace with her husband, portion Rempel was engaged selling flowers and volunteering astatine church.

Rempel was the archetypal to determination to Grunthal, settling successful a 55-plus residence aft her husband's wellness took a turn. Eventually, her neighbour crossed the hallway moved out, and Rempel invited Chipilski to determination in.

"I'm atrocious I did," Rempel joked.

Both widows person spent much than 20 years living crossed the hallway from each other.

They gag the doors betwixt their rooms are kept shut, but they walk clip unneurotic daily, watching crippled shows and cooking shows connected television, and trading barbs.

"We consciousness similar one," Chipilski said, truthful overmuch truthful that "we person ne'er ever given each different a hug."

It would beryllium similar hugging yourself, Rempel said: "There's nary use."

Although Chipilski is going done crab treatment, some she and Rempel say they consciousness large physically. They locomotion astir their homes without assistance, and it helps that they're inactive crisp mentally.

The sisters accidental they person much beingness up of them.

"I emotion my children excessively overmuch yet," Rempel said.

"I mean, it doesn't substance however overmuch we emotion them," Chipilski added. "Someday we volition spell — we each person to go — but I conjecture God isn't finished with america yet."

They anticipation to instrumentality to the legislature for their 100th birthdays.

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