Judy Hazelwood, Joanne Rockson, and Jeannette English Gray continue to share their lives as they have for the past 57 years in the community that helped raise them.
On July 19 of this year, they marked their 57th birthdays together with loved ones.
The three 91原创 women grew up being known as the English triplets, the three identical daughters of Hugh and Sharron English who now reside in Salmon Arm.
91原创 essentially adopted the family when the triplets were born in 1960.
鈥淥ur father was unemployed at the time,鈥� said Jeannette English Gray. 鈥淭he people in the town of 91原创 rallied around our parents, finding our father a job and providing a lot of well needed gifts, diapers, formula, etc. Our grandparents on both sides, were a huge help to our parents, doing rotating shifts 鈥� feeding, diapers, naps, etc.鈥�
Multiple births didn鈥檛 run in the family. Their dad鈥檚 mom had a fraternal twin, not identical like the triplets.
The girls started with an advantage 鈥� young parents who had the energy to take on such a momentous task.
鈥淥ur mother carried us to full term. Our weights were Jeannette, 5 lbs. 13 oz.; Joanne, 6 lbs. 11 oz.; and Judy, 6 lbs. 2 oz.,鈥� Jeannette explained. 鈥淥ur older sister, Cheryl, was 18 months old when we were born. Our parents had four children and they were only 21 years old.鈥�
Jeannette was the first born of the triplets, then came Joanne and finally Judy, all five minutes apart.
鈥淕rowing up we were inseparable,鈥� explained Joanne. 鈥淲e did everything together. When we were toddlers, the three of us shared a small room. We each had our own crib. At night we would rock our cribs till they were together, then we would go to sleep. I would describe growing up as a triplet as having your best friends with you all the time. And we still are.鈥�
In addition to older sister Cheryl, the triplets had a younger sister, Cindy, and a brother, Tim.
Since their births in 1960, the trio have shared the pages of the 91原创 Advance.
As the girls grew older, they each made their own lives.
In 2011, Jeannette married Bill Gray. Their two daughters Brooke and Erin, have given them three grandchildren 鈥� Claire, Jack and Evelyn.
Joanne celebrates 36 years of marriage to Sam Rockson this October. They had two sons, Travis and Cody, and now have one grandson, Lane.
Judy married Greg Hazelwood 30 years ago. In addition to their two children (Tyler and Kyla), they have Elizabeth, a granddaughter.
鈥淛oanne summed it up nicely,鈥� Jeannette said. 鈥淲e are the best of friends and are never every really out of contact with each other.鈥�
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