Keller
KELLER, MAYE, RAYE, FAYE
McKinney Courier-Gazette, January 20, 1982
COUNTY’S FIRST TRIPLETS ‘GOIN’ LIKE 60
The family of the late John Henry and Corrine Keller of Celina increased dramatically on Jan. 15, 1922 with the birth of triplet girls.
Weighing between 6 ½ and 7 lbs., Faye, Raye, and Maye were delivered at home by the late Dr. Marion Haley of Celina and made history by being the first triplets born in Collin County.
So identical were they that a special means of identification had to be devised by the parents, which none of the three remembers. The method escaped the baby photographer, who carefully wrote the names incorrectly on his film.
Dressing alike until they were married, the girls enjoyed growing up with something like celebrity status. They won baby shows, people gave them money, and took them places because of the uniqueness of their birth.
Chaperoned by their older sister, Louise, the First Baptist Church of Celina sponsored their trip to the 1936 Texas Centennial in Dallas, where they were taken on tours through the buildings and photographed.
For pictures or for conversation, the girls always line up with Raye between Faye and Maye because “Daddy always had me get in the middle,” she explained.
Breaking the lineup, however, Faye was the first to marry, followed by Maye, and then Raye.
Raye Hancock of Garland is also the only one of the three not living in McKinney. Maye Capps and Faye Riley live here, as do their sisters, Louise Hill and Bea Dickerson, and brother Marion Keller. The other brother, William Keller, lives in Coppell.
Through the years, the ladies have celebrated their mutual birthday with family reunions or luncheons. The past Friday, however, was different as each one’s family planned individual 60th birthday celebrations.
Raye’s family marked the event with an evening dinner at a Dallas restaurant; Maye’s birthday was spent with her family, who arranged a surprise party; Faye’s family gathered at the Plano home of her daughter, Rita Lundberg, for a birthday dinner.
All three received many gifts.
Still remarkably alike in features, the ladies are now grandmothers, and in one case, a great-grandmother.
Raye Hancock has two sons and one daughter, Tim Hancock, David Hancock and married daughter, Carolyn Hamilton, all living in Garland. Carolyn has provided three grandsons.
Maye Capps has one daughter and one son. Shirley Jones lives in Plano and has two children, and Ronald Capps lives in McKinney and has five daughters. May is also a great-grandmother.
Faye Riley has two daughters and one son. Dewey Riley Jr. lives in Weston. Donna Perry lives in Plano and has one daughter. Rita Lundberg also lives in Plano and has three sons.
None of the triplets has ever worked outside the home, concentrating instead on being homemakers for their families. They are, in fact, quite modest and shy and do not consider themselves different from other people.
Nevertheless, they are. Multiple births may be more common now, but the birth of Faye, Raye and Maye 60 years ago was an event then, and they remain Collin County’s first triplets.
Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday!
McKinney Courier-Gazette, January 20, 1982
COUNTY’S FIRST TRIPLETS ‘GOIN’ LIKE 60
The family of the late John Henry and Corrine Keller of Celina increased dramatically on Jan. 15, 1922 with the birth of triplet girls.
Weighing between 6 ½ and 7 lbs., Faye, Raye, and Maye were delivered at home by the late Dr. Marion Haley of Celina and made history by being the first triplets born in Collin County.
So identical were they that a special means of identification had to be devised by the parents, which none of the three remembers. The method escaped the baby photographer, who carefully wrote the names incorrectly on his film.
Dressing alike until they were married, the girls enjoyed growing up with something like celebrity status. They won baby shows, people gave them money, and took them places because of the uniqueness of their birth.
Chaperoned by their older sister, Louise, the First Baptist Church of Celina sponsored their trip to the 1936 Texas Centennial in Dallas, where they were taken on tours through the buildings and photographed.
For pictures or for conversation, the girls always line up with Raye between Faye and Maye because “Daddy always had me get in the middle,” she explained.
Breaking the lineup, however, Faye was the first to marry, followed by Maye, and then Raye.
Raye Hancock of Garland is also the only one of the three not living in McKinney. Maye Capps and Faye Riley live here, as do their sisters, Louise Hill and Bea Dickerson, and brother Marion Keller. The other brother, William Keller, lives in Coppell.
Through the years, the ladies have celebrated their mutual birthday with family reunions or luncheons. The past Friday, however, was different as each one’s family planned individual 60th birthday celebrations.
Raye’s family marked the event with an evening dinner at a Dallas restaurant; Maye’s birthday was spent with her family, who arranged a surprise party; Faye’s family gathered at the Plano home of her daughter, Rita Lundberg, for a birthday dinner.
All three received many gifts.
Still remarkably alike in features, the ladies are now grandmothers, and in one case, a great-grandmother.
Raye Hancock has two sons and one daughter, Tim Hancock, David Hancock and married daughter, Carolyn Hamilton, all living in Garland. Carolyn has provided three grandsons.
Maye Capps has one daughter and one son. Shirley Jones lives in Plano and has two children, and Ronald Capps lives in McKinney and has five daughters. May is also a great-grandmother.
Faye Riley has two daughters and one son. Dewey Riley Jr. lives in Weston. Donna Perry lives in Plano and has one daughter. Rita Lundberg also lives in Plano and has three sons.
None of the triplets has ever worked outside the home, concentrating instead on being homemakers for their families. They are, in fact, quite modest and shy and do not consider themselves different from other people.
Nevertheless, they are. Multiple births may be more common now, but the birth of Faye, Raye and Maye 60 years ago was an event then, and they remain Collin County’s first triplets.
Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday!
