These 90-year-old identical twins were born on a Saskatchewan farm, but grew to love the city

A set of twin sisters had an extra special holiday season this year as they celebrated a big milestone birthday with family.

Rose Worona and Anne Skwarchuk were born in 1935 on a farm near Hafford. Now, they’re celebrating their 90th birthday together.

They could be proof that a long-life gene exists.

“I didn’t believe I’d make it, but here I am,” Rose Worona told CTV News at the birthday party late last month, though January 1 was their actual birthday.

Sister Anne Skwarchuk shared a similar sentiment.

“I can't believe that I am 90,” she said.

There’s no denying they’re identical twins.

Rose is technically the oldest, born about thirty minutes sooner on the farm.

According to the pair, the arrival of twins was a surprise, but it didn’t elicit the fanfare you’d imagine. The fact that they are New Year babies would seem special but they say that wasn’t the case, based on stories their parents shared.

Rose now lives on her own in Saskatoon while Anne travelled from her home for the celebration. She lives in Edmonton with her son’s family.

Their minds and humour — still sharp, but “the body, that’s another story totally,” Rose laughed.

Anne has two children and three grandchildren.

Rose has two kids, five grandkids and three great-grandkids.

Their sisterly bond is evident even though they don’t see each other very often anymore.

They used to talk on the phone daily — now with reduced hearing they rely on texting. They usually go through the basic questions.

“What are you doing? Oh, how are you doing? How's the weather? And if we bought anything,” Worona said.

With nine decades under their belts, what do they think about all the changes they’ve witnessed — technology included?

“It's hard to explain the change. Everything changed. The way we do things; at home the way that we cook. The gadgets that you all have,” she said.

Back when they were kids, they say they never fought because they were too busy.

“Oh, we were on the farm, there were chores to do. Cows to milk, bringing wood to the house and walk four miles to school,” Skwarchuk recalls.

They do finish each other’s sentences and admit growing up they innately knew if something was wrong with the other one.

(Courtesy: Patti Fisher)

They like to hug and are very loving, according to their granddaughter, who is inspired by their legacy.

“Their lives are a testament of the exceptional things that they can achieve through hard work and determination and their faith in God is unwavering. It's pretty amazing,” granddaughter Carla Larson said.

In addition to all the work they did on the farm, Rose worked in a bank over the years and Anne boasts being one of the first 911 operators in Edmonton.

“I loved it. We answered the 911 emergencies and then patched them to police or fire or whoever,” Skwarchuk said.

“They've always worked very hard for everything that they've had. They often tell us that we never had to work that hard,” Larson said.

They also liked big city life, having both lived in Toronto for a time in their 20’s.

Their life was spent learning through trial and error and perseverance.

“In those days, you know, you had to get used to things because that was the only thing that you could do, you did what you had to do to get by.”