Twins Wanda and Wilma celebrate 100th birthday after a century of shared memories

HAYES COUNTY, Neb. — Twin sisters born on a rural Nebraska farm in 1926 are celebrating a milestone few ever reach — both turning 100 years old.

Wanda Johnson and Wilma Christner were born February 25, 1926, in Hayes County to Willard and Cleo Mintling.

This week, exactly a century later, they reunited to celebrate their shared birthday- reflecting on lives that have spanned the Great Depression, World War II and nearly every major chapter of the last 100 years.

“My twin sister and I had our party together and just had fun,” said Wilma. “Whatever memories I have, she has it too because we did everything together. We didn't go anywhere without each other.”

The sisters grew up north of Hayes Center on a working farm alongside their older brother, Eldon.

The twins say life during the Depression was simple and demanding. There were cows to milk, horses to ride and daily chores that began before school.

“We lived on the farm and we played in the barn, played in the hay mound, jumped out that big old hay mound thing and landed in a pile of hay. It's really good exercise,” recalled Wilma.

Farm work was a regular part of their childhood.

“I milked cows. I could milk a cow and milk it fast enough it had foam on it,” said Wilma with a laugh.

Both sisters graduated from Hayes Center High School in 1943 and began careers in education.

Each taught in rural one-room schoolhouses during the mid-1940s, which was a common path for young women of that era.

Wilma married Vernon Albert Christner in 1944. The couple later moved to Cozad in 1961, where they raised five children and built a life rooted in family and church.

Wilma worked at Monroe for many years and remained active in her faith community, teaching piano lessons and playing at church well into her 80s.

Wanda married Dallas Johnson in 1946. The couple raised four children while moving across Nebraska for Dallas’s career with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

From Camp Hayes to Ponca State Park, Wanda balanced family life with work at state parks, helping manage offices, cabins and facilities.

She continued working for years after Dallas’s passing, retiring on her 80th birthday.

Over a century, the sisters have witnessed dramatic changes in daily life — from kerosene lamps to electric lights and from outdoor toilets to modern plumbing.

“I like electric lights, not kerosene lights,” said Wanda. "And I liked indoor plumbing where you could flush the toilet instead of going out back when it's cold."

Despite living separate lives as adults, their bond remains unchanged.

“She was always the boss,” Wanda said with a smile.

“I told them all what to do and where to go,” said Wilma about her birthday party.

Wanda added “Oh, we couldn't get along without each other."

After a century of life experience, Wilma offered simple advice for younger generations.

“I say stay away from the liquor bottle and don't smoke,” she said.

Their milestone birthday drew statewide and national recognition. Governor Jim Pillen named both sisters Admirals in the Great Navy of Nebraska, the highest civic honor bestowed by the governor.

They also received a birthday card from President Donald Trump.

From horseback rides to one-room classrooms to modern assisted living facilities, their lives reflect a century of Nebraska history.

And after 100 years, whatever memories one sister holds, the other holds too.