DOUBLE THE FUN

LONGTOWN -- Although they don't remember many birthday parties as children, their children threw them a party not likely to be forgotten.

Identical twin sisters Wilma Bohnert of Longtown and Thelma Guyott of St. Louis celebrated their 80th birthday with a surprise party Sunday afternoon. About 75 relatives, neighbors and friends attended the party at the Zion Lutheran Church fellowship hall.

"We haven't had many birthday parties together," Bohnert said. But the women do share some common bonds. Both wear glasses and have similar hairstyles but Wilma's hair is brown and Thelma's is white. Both wore slacks and sweaters. Wilma wore pink and Thelma wore blue.

Their children even say they both have the same personality -- impatient and independent.

While the crowd enjoyed the remainder of a potluck lunch, the sisters walked to the front table and began slicing their respective cakes, which were candle-free. Even though they are identical twins and each held the knife with their right hand, the twins are individuals. Wilma's cake was chocolate, Thelma's was vanilla.

While getting the guests to the party was as simple as sending out invitations, getting the guests of honor there took some storytelling and strategic planning. Their children began planning the party about a month ago and never told their parents any details.

"We did it," said Bohnert's daughter, Nancy Burkbuegler, when the two women arrived to shouts of `surprise' and camera flashes.

"We had to do a lot of lying to get them both here," she said. "The party was fun so I hope that makes up for it."

To get her mother to the church hall, Burkbuegler had to tell her that the family was planning a party for one of Burkbuegler's grandchildren who was visiting from Louisiana.

Bohnert has two children, seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. All but three grandchildren attended the party.

Joan Sutterer, Guyott's daughter, told her mother about the party for Bohnert's great-grandchild but then told her she couldn't come because she had another party at her in-laws.

"It's been one continuous story," she said. "It's the first time we had a party for both of them."

Sutterer didn't even slip when her brother from Minneapolis arrived in St. Louis this weekend. Guyott didn't know he was coming and first saw him at the party. All four of her children attended the party. Her husband is deceased.

Other guests included Kathleen Reinwald, a friend who grew up with the sisters.

"I always thought they were identical and you couldn't tell them apart but now I can," she said.

The women were born near Longtown in 1916 and weighed about 2 pounds each. Their parents tied ribbons around their wrists to help tell them apart, family members say.

"We were the smallest of the bunch and lived the longest of the family," Bohnert said, adding that as children the girls often dressed identically.

In at least one baby picture, neither woman can identify herself.

After 57 years, Wilpert Bohnert has learned to tell the women apart.

As a teenager, he dated both sisters. "I took them both out at first because I couldn't tell them apart," he said. "But now I can."

Wilpert and Wilma Bohnert have been married for 57 years.