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A StoryCorps love story: Twin waitresses caught the eyes of twin musicians

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Time now for StoryCorps. Today, a love story that began in the Catskills. It was the summer of 1946. Hunny Feller and her identical twin sister, Bunny, were waitresses at a hotel. Another set of identical twins, Elliot and Danny Reiken, worked as musicians in a band there. At StoryCorps, Hunny and Elliot remembered what happened when the twins met the twins.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

ELLIOT REIKEN: When we met, you and your sister couldn't tell us apart, and we couldn't tell you two apart.

HUNNY REIKEN: But by the end of the summer, there was no chance of separating us. And we had a double wedding. You and I were married the same day as Bunny and Danny were married. And it was two brides, two grooms, one set of parents for each. The gowns were identical gowns. The flowers were identical.

E REIKEN: We both went on a honeymoon to Miami Beach by different trains...

H REIKEN: Yeah, so people wouldn't....

E REIKEN: ...Because we didn't want to be so obvious that people would be staring at us, you know, embarrassing.

H REIKEN: Yeah, the twins that married the twins.

E REIKEN: What'd you think about marrying me many years ago?

H REIKEN: You bowled me over with your way of kissing and the way you hold me when we dance. You're not a fantastic dancer, but you hold me fantastically. And I feel it. It's genuine. You're just not phony. I don't think you have a phony bone in your body. And I never thought anybody lasts this many years.

E REIKEN: Like, just yesterday was our 50th anniversary.

H REIKEN: Yeah. And now it's 11 years after that. I never feel, what will he do if I die first? You know how to open tuna fish. You know how to schmear it with mayonnaise. You will not fall apart. You'll feel sad when I'm gone. But you will manage. And that makes me feel very good. Thank you for being you, Elliot. You made my life complete.

E REIKEN: And I say the same. You made my life complete and hope we go on for another 50 years.

H REIKEN: I'll take five good ones. Five good ones, and I'll say thank you, God.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MARTINEZ: That's one of the sweetest things I've heard in a while. That was Hunny and Elliot Reiken in New York City in 2010. The last of the twins, Elliot Reiken, died last week. He was 98 years old. This conversation is archived at the Library of Congress. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Lily Percy

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.