Triplets - A Sesquicentennial Story

The Zunkel triplets have been part of Ogden’s history for sixty years. The Boothroyd boys not quite so long.

We’d like to share their stories. - unique in our 150 years of local history.

You must multiply everything times three!

(As printed in The Ogden Reporter May, 1975)

The Zunkel triplets graduate from OHS-

The thing that impresses a person the most about Ogden’s Zunkel triplets is their own individuality. 

And, according to Mom and Dad - Mr. and Mrs. LaVern Zunkel - that’s just the way it should be.

“We’ve raised the girls to be individuals,” Bev said. “When they were little, we dressed them alike but it wasn’t long until they let their own tastes be known and we let them develop in their own way.”

Sunday marks a big day for the three - Debbie, Denise and Deanna - as they graduate from Ogden High School, the first time ever that triplets have graduated from Ogden High School.

How does a couple raise triplets?

Are there unique problems involved or are they so very special that many things are overlooked simply because they are triplets?

Not at all according to Bev.

“We’ve never tried to treat the girls as something special.” Zunkel said. “And when it comes to the problems of raising kids these days, and the expenses involved, you can just multiply it by three.”

It isn’t that there haven’t been problems.

With the girls involved in different activities, there have been many times when there hasn’t been  enough “family car.”

THE BOOTHROYD BOYS

Trevor, Travis and Troy Boothroyd are triplet sons born to Kelly and Tony Boothroyd in May of 2006. 

The Pregnancy-

We didn’t find out we were having triplets until January. That’s when the Doctor measured my tummy and said, “Let’s see how many babies are in there!” From there I was referred to the Perinatal Center of Iowa for an ultrasound and the technician started counting, “One, two and . . . three.”  I almost fell off the table. And then she said, “They’re all boys.” Tony was excited and happy, I was just plain scared. We just found out we were having three babies instead of one, that they were all boys and that we didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for them. And our oldest son, Ty, was 18 months old.

The Delivery-

The boys arrived in May at 33 weeks and 5 days, each delivered just a minute apart. Lots of people in the delivery room. There was a team for each baby. Tony and I got to see them for a few seconds and they took them to the NICU. Trevor and Travis weighed 4 lbs. 10 oz. and Troy was 3 lbs. 6oz.  Trevor and Travis spent 16 days in the NICU and Troy was there for two months. He was born with some issues and had his first surgery the day after he was born. Lots of ups and downs during that time. 

There is much more to these stories. See the Nov. 2 issue of The Ogden Reporter.