- Mary Belle Roach and Mae Belle Powell from Symsonia, Kentucky, turned 100 on March 25
- The sisters, who are still known as 'The Wallace Twins', were teenagers during the Great Depression and worked at a factory during World War II
- Mary and Mae Belle have never been apart, and now they live together in their childhood home where they share a bedroom
A
pair of identical twins who have never lived apart just celebrated
their 100th birthdays—and they still can't get enough of each other.
After
a century of being attached at the hip, Mary Belle Roach and Mae Belle
Powell from Symsonia, Kentucky, still dress alike, get their hair done
together, and live with each other in their childhood home. They have
even taken to sharing a bedroom in case one of them ever needs anything
in the middle of the night.
'We're together all the time; we've never been separated,' Mary told Today. 'That's all we know: to love each other.'
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A century together: Identical twins Mary Belle Roach and Mae Belle Powell celebrated their 100th birthdays on March 25
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Unbreakable bond: Mae Belle (left) and Mary (right) have been inseparable over the past 100 years together
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At the start: The sisters, who are
still known as 'The Wallace Twins', were born in their hometown of
Symsonia, Kentucky, on March 25, 1916 in the midst of World War I. Mary
and Mae Belle are pictured as babies
The
sisters, who are still known as 'The Wallace Twins' because of their
maiden names, were born in their hometown of Symsonia on March 25, 1916
in the midst of World War I.
Mary and Mae Belle were teenagers during the Great Depression, and Mary recalled how their family 'had nothing' at the time.
Despite
the financial hardships of the time, the two women were able to afford
the $5 a semester tuition to attend Murray State College together.
As
college student, the twins took advantage of their identical
appearances and divvied up their time in the classroom based on their
separate interests.
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Hard times: Mary and Mae Belle, who are pictured as high school students, were teenagers during the Great Depression
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Helping hand: When they were college
students, Mary would go to gym class pretending to be her sister, while
Mae Belle did Mary's book reports
While
Mary would go to gym class for her sister, who 'can't hit a ball to
save her life', Mae Belle would return the favor by doing her sister's
book reports.
The
sisters even chose chose the same profession. After they married a pair
of best friends that they had grown up with, they both took teaching
jobs at Symsonia Elementary School where they made a $1 per day.
Mary
and Mae Belle taught in classrooms that were right across the hall from
each other, but after their husbands were drafted into World War II in
the 1940s, they temporarily moved to Detroit to work in wartime
factories.
'Everything
was real quiet; I remember how sad it was,' Mary said of hearing about
the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
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Rosie the Riveter: The twins
temporarily moved to Detroit (pictured) to work in wartime factories
during World War II after their husbands were drafted
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Good times: Mary and Mae Belle are pictured riding motorcycles together in Mississippi
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Best friends: The twins wore matching
clothes during one of their trips to New Orleans. The two have been to
all 50 states and eight countries in Europe together
She
will also never forget the Sunday after the first atomic bomb was
dropped as she recalled how 'you had to wait in line just to get into
church.'
After the war ended, the sisters and their husband bought motor homes and traveled around the country.
Over the course of their lifetimes, they have visited all 50 states, as well eight countries in Europe, together.
The women, who are both widows, continue to remain active despite their 100 years.
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Mary and Mae Belle live together in their childhood home—and they even share a room
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Closer than ever: 'I need her all the
time,' Mae Belle said. 'We've had a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful life
and still have it.'
They
keep each other company at a nearby gym where they walked for 30
minutes each day, and every Friday they go to the hair salon dressed
alike.
Mae
Belle insisted that if she is not with her sister she is worried, and
they both agree that they simply can't get enough of each other.
'I need her all the time,' Mae Belle said. 'We've had a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful life and still have it.'
As for their secret to living living to 100, Mae Belle told Inside Edition its 'good genes', noting that their mother lived to be 97.
'We didn’t smoke cigarettes. We didn’t smoke that pot. We never drank beer,' she added.
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