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From a wedding dress to a PhD program, these 90-year-old twins shared almost everything

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Talk of Iowa, hosted by Charity Nebbe

Ninety-year-old identical twins Bonnie Smola and Donna Story spent their first 20 years together, and the next 20 years apart, before coming back together for the next half-century.

Born Bonnie and Donna Ketchum in 1932 in Anamosa, the twin sisters spent their childhood years during the Great Depression in both Iowa and Chicago as their parents worked and saved to purchase their farm.

While married life took them to different parts of the world, they both followed remarkable career paths, each of them receiving two Master's degrees and doctorate degrees and teaching nursing.

Talk of Iowa host Charity Nebbe talks with Bonnie Smola and Donna Story about growing up as twins, their professional achievements and their passion for historic preservation and volunteerism, for which they received lifetime achievement awards from the State Historical Society of Iowa in 2021.

Guests:

  • Bonnie Smola, rural Monona resident
  • Donna Story, rural Hawkeye resident
Charity Nebbe is IPR's<i> Talk of Iowa</i> host. She also hosts IPR's podcasts <i>Garden Variety</i> and <i>Unsettled</i>. Since 2010, Nebbe has interviewed, conversed with, and shared ideas from guests of all backgrounds and locations, and has helped listeners better understand, appreciate, and explore their state and the world around them. Nebbe has a bachelors degree from Iowa State University.
Samantha McIntosh is a talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Cloud State University. Since 2022, McIntosh has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.