Fifty years of friendship for some Mercer County women sprang from the birth of their twins.

The Shenango Valley Chapter of the Mothers of Twins Club celebrated their 50th Anniversary Oct. 18. The group was formed by Mildred Lemos of Sharon and Mary Bowen of Mercer in the spring of 1951 and the group was officially sanctioned in Sept. 1951.

The club was formed with the idea that mothers of twins could get away from their families for a few hours a month and socialize with other mothers, Mrs. Lemos said. She said the group had 14 mothers at their first meeting.

"These ladies, they're just great friends. They stayed together all these years," said Marilyn Morris, daughter of Mrs. Bowen. Mrs. Morris, Sharon, and her twin sister, Carolyn Muscarella, Pulaski, are now 54.

Mrs. Morris said she can remember big parties with all the ladies and their twins, many of whom were dressed alike. "It was a big, fun affair," she said.

The club had an anniversary party Oct. 18 at St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Hermitage, to celebrate. The group invited other Mothers of Twins members from around the area including Beaver and Lawrence counties and Warren, Ohio.

"Not many people reach a 50-year milestone," Mrs. Lemos said. "We stuck by it (the club)."

"It's great. It's exciting," Mrs. Bowen said of the anniversary.

Currently the group boasts 16 members with twins ranging from 54-years-old to 2-months-old, according to current club president Connie Matvey of Mercer.

Mrs. Lemos claims the Shenango Valley Chapter of the Mothers of Twins Club was the first one formed in Pennsylvania.

"It's nice to associate with other members who have twins," Mrs. Matvey said. She added that it's a convenient way to talk to other mothers of twins who share common problems.

Carol and Cheryl Parola said they remember having hay rides for the group and their twins on their parent's farm in Transfer.

"I think it's good, especially for these women who have see it come full circle," Cheryl Parola, 45, of Farrell, said of the 50th anniversary.

"I think it's wonderful," said Alice Shaffer of Greenville. She said she joined the club at the urging of a friend. She said she didn't think she had time for the club because when her twins were born she already had four boys.

"Silly soul that I was I went," Mrs. Shaffer said.

Forty-six years later Mrs. Shaffer, along with her friends, are still meeting every month.