The twins were born in their family’s farmhouse in rural Sheridan County in 1934.
“It was raining so hard. Our dad went to get a doctor and our grandmother had to deliver us,” said Lasher, noting that their grandmother placed them in a basket on the oven door to keep them warm until the doctor arrived.
As toddlers, the twins spoke to each other in code.
“We had a language all of our own,” said Hoots. “Our mother told us that if we didn’t start talking normally, she was going to separate us, and we wouldn’t hear of that.”
Along with their identical appearances, the girls had similar personalities and mannerisms, too. To make them even more alike, their mother dressed them the same.
“Teachers would say, ‘Would you dress them differently so we could tell them apart?’” Lasher said, adding that on the days they wore different clothing, they would sometimes swap outfits at recess to confuse their classmates and teachers.
The twins had three other siblings — an older sister, a younger brother and a younger sister — but the twins mostly stuck together. They are the only two still alive.
“We didn’t have time to play with the other ones,” Lasher said. “We didn’t need anyone else.”
Even their love lives were synchronized.
“When we dated, we’d always go on double dates together,” Hoots said.
“And they couldn’t tell us apart,” Lasher added. “We just let them guess. Sometimes they got it wrong.”
The twins were apart for the first time when Hoots went to high school and college in Wessington Springs, S.D. Then in 1957, she married and moved to Chaseley, N.D. — about 50 miles from McClusky.
Being apart proved harder than they thought. The twins stopped dressing alike, and although they spoke often, the distance was difficult for them emotionally.
“My husband would know when I got depressed, and he’d say, ‘I think we’ll go down to see Lori,” said Lasher.
Lasher had three daughters and a son, and Hoots had one daughter and three sons. Their own children often confused them when they were young.
“They’re very close,” Lasher said. “They get along just like brothers and sisters.”
The twins were finally reunited in 2000. Hoots divorced from her husband, and when she retired from working at a nursing home, she moved back to McClusky. The sisters moved in together in 2007, after Lasher’s husband died.
Beyond the companionship, the sisters support each other with their health challenges. Having each other has made getting older easier, they said.
“If we didn’t have each other, we wouldn’t be able to manage alone,” said Lasher, noting that she has arthritis and her sister has macular degeneration. “Lori helps me with my hands. … I help her with her eyes.”
The sisters have a daily routine. They wake up around 6 a.m. and have coffee and breakfast together while watching television.
“Then we get busy sewing, and we forget to eat until about 3 or 4 o’clock,” Lasher said. “Right now, we’re in the process of making all our grandkids throws. We’re very busy with that.”
The twins take turns cooking and cleaning, and they eat every meal together. In the summer months, they often break from sewing to do yard work — though neither of them has a green thumb, they said.
“We have a sign in the garden: ‘We tried but it died,’” said Hoots.
The sisters also bake together.
“We love to make bread, buns and a lot of goodies, and then we take them to different families and give it away,” Hoots said.
Just like they did as toddlers and teens, the twins dress alike each day, including their accessories and jewelry. They always buy two of everything — mostly casual pants and tops.
“The first one that starts getting dressed picks an outfit and we settle on that,” said Lasher.
“We have no arguments about what we’re going to wear,” Hoots said, adding that they both still drive, and whenever they go into town, nobody can tell them apart. “We agree on anything that we pick.”
“We get along great,” Lasher said. “If we have a disagreement, the other one will say, ‘Don’t be so testy,’ and that’s the end of it.”
They especially enjoy marking milestones together — including their 90th birthday. Their children threw them an all-day birthday party at McClusky City Hall on June 15, the day before their birthday. More than 200 guests attended, and several family members flew in from out of town.
“It was heartwarming to see all the people they have touched in their lifetime,” said Laurie Severson, Lasher’s daughter.
The twins said they felt like royalty.
“They even made us wear crowns at the party,” Hoots said.
They were delighted with the celebration, but mostly, they said they feel lucky to have each other.
“You never feel alone,” Hoots said. “You always have somebody with you.”
