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The Preston triplets' birth certificate. They delivered in the family farmhouse.
Sallie Preston-Scott and her brother Frank Preston in 1997, holding a photo of themselves with their brother Gilbert. A family photo of Stafford's Preston triplets: (left to right) Frank Preston, Sallie Preston-Scott and Gilbert Preston. |
When Frank Preston was born at his family's farmhouse in White Oak on Nov. 6, 1917, the doctor announced to the proud father, John Preston, "Congratulations, you have a son."
Suddenly, the anxious new mother, Lily White-Preston, screamed for the doctor.
That's when another baby, Gilbert, made his arrival.
"Congratulations, you have a second son," the doctor told John Preston moments later.
But then Lily Preston shouted for the doctor once again.
That signaled the arrival of Carrie Preston, a baby girl who eventually became "Sallie" to family and friends.
"Congratulations, you now have a daughter," the doctor proclaimed upon his return.
And, apparently, three was enough for John Preston.
"That's when our father jumped off the porch and ran for the woods," Frank Preston said in a recent phone conversation from his home in Union, N.J.
"I don't know if it's true or not, but that's the tale that has been passed down through the family ever since."
Today, Frank, Gilbert and Sallie Preston not only rank as the oldest living triplets to be born in the Fredericksburg area, but, at 88, they exceed the age of the "world's oldest living triplets" listed by the Guinness World Records.
The Scott family triplets of Edinburgh, Scotland, are listed as "oldest" by Guinness. They were born on May 19, 1920--about the time the Prestons were toddling through the "terrible twos" back in Stafford.
According to Guinness, the late Cardwell triplets of Texas--Faith, Hope and Charity--set the all-time standard for longevity at 95 years, 137 days before Faith passed away in 1994.
The birth of triplets was a rare occurrence in the early 1900s compared to today. While the increased use of fertility drugs has made multiple births more common, they still carry a higher risk of premature labor and low birth weight.
There were 53 sets of triplets born in Virginia in 2004, representing roughly one-tenth of 1 percent of the total births.
As for the Preston triplets, however, they appear too busy enjoying life--and each other--to worry about their status in any record books.
Three of a kindDespite having 88-plus years to get on each other's nerves, Frank, Gilbert and Sallie Preston seem as closely connected in the most important ways as they were on that November day in 1917.
Frank and Sallie live only a few blocks apart in New Jersey--he is in Union and she is in the neighboring community of Vauxhall.
Gilbert, who lives near Memphis, Tenn., stays in close touch with his brother and sister and may be the most light-hearted of the three.
Asked how the triplets are alike, Gilbert responded, "Well, none of us has been in jail."
How are they different?
"I've always claimed to be the best looking," Gilbert said. "So, I guess I'll stick with that story."
The Prestons agree that they are lucky to be triplets.
"Gilbert is just about the best brother a person could have," Frank said. "We talk on the phone about once a week. And Sallie, I look forward to talking to her every morning. If I didn't call her every day, she'd think something was wrong.
"We treat each other just like we did when we were growing up. It's like we're still kids. And we never fight, I think we just love each other too much."
Said Sallie: "I just had a wonderful time growing up with those two. I have nothing to complain about.
"My brothers are very much alike, both in looks and personality. They tend to favor my mother, and I favor my father more. But it's easy to tell we're related."
Frank recalled that a younger sibling, John, had trouble as a child telling his older brothers apart.
"When we picked on John, he would go running to our mother," Frank said. "And she'd say, 'OK, who did it?' Well, John would point to me and say, 'It was him.' But then Gilbert would come around the corner, and John would say, 'No, it was him.' So, my mother would just take a switch to both of us."
Stafford rootsThe triplets' father, John Edward Preston, was a fisherman on the Potomac River and also helped his parents--Ned and Celia--farm about 150 acres off Belle Plains Road in southern Stafford County.
John's wife, Lily, was a homemaker and Sunday school teacher.
The triplets were the couple's first children. Lily later gave birth to a set of twins, Celia and Lacy, but they survived only two weeks. Two other brothers followed--John in 1921 and Lacy in 1924. Both are now deceased.
According to family history, after the triplets were born, John Preston went to a country store in White Oak to announce their arrival. The store manager told him that the community was going to give the family a gift.
But when the proud father showed up the next day, the present turned out to be a ham and a sack of flour.
"My father told them he had enough ham and flour," Frank Preston recalled. "So, he just came home."
Frank also remembered that he and his brother, Gilbert, were given chores on the farm as soon as they were old enough to work.
"My father spent a lot of time on the river," Frank said. "So, we helped around the house quite a bit."
All of the triplets remember riding to Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church in the back of a hay wagon until their father bought his first automobile--a 1921 REO. All three attended the one-room Boxley School on Belle Plains Road near their home.
About 1930, the Preston family migrated north. They settled in Union, N.J., where Lily Preston's parents lived.
Each of the triplets married, though Sallie's husband and Frank's first wife are deceased. And all three now enjoy extended families. Between them they have 15 children, 38 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren.
Sallie Preston was employed as a nurse's aide in a New Jersey hospital during most of her adult life. Both Frank and Gilbert Preston worked as truck drivers for several New Jersey lumber companies.
All three have been active church members throughout their lives. Each contributed words of advice in a story written by Gilbert's daughter, Kathleen, in 2002.
Said Sallie, "Eat right, avoid drinking, smoking and profanity. Live a clean life and trust in the Lord."
Said Frank: "Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land which the lord your God has given you."
Said Gilbert: "Live, laugh, love and forgive. God's way, Him first, then your wife and others. God can get you through any problem. Trust him."
These days, both Frank and Sallie attend the First Baptist Church in Vauxhall, N.J., where Sallie has the honorary title of Mother of the Church in recognition of her lifelong service.
Family tiesFrank White of Stafford is related to the Preston triplets through their mother's side of the family.
"I would guess that there are more than a hundred relatives still around the Fredericksburg area," White said. "The Prestons, Whites, Conways and Williams we're all connected."
The Preston family has close ties to the Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church on Chapel Green Road in White Oak.
The current pastor is the Rev. Roland Preston, who is a cousin to the Preston triplets. His father, Stewart Preston, was a brother of John Preston, the triplets' father.
Roland Preston described the triplets as "very jolly and fun-loving" and said whenever they are in a room together, there is sure to be a lot of kidding back and forth.
Clarence Preston, Roland's brother and a resident of Fredericksburg, said he always had trouble telling Frank and Gilbert apart until Gilbert began to put on a little weight. Clarence also recalled the warm hospitality that always greeted him on visits to New Jersey.
As the extended Preston family has grown larger, the once-annual family reunions have become less frequent. It has been several years since any of the triplets has visited Stafford.
Still, family ties remain strong and memories are cherished.
"They're very sharp and in good health," said Clarence of his three cousins. "They certainly don't seem like they're 88 years old."
To reach LEE WOOLF:
Email: lwoolf@freelancestar.com
