83-year-old identical twins die hours apart

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Family members say that identical twins Helen Mae Cook and Clara Mae Mitchel always had a special bond.

The bond was so close that the twins died within 12 hours of each other on Tuesday, KHOU reports.

Cook’s daughter, Marsha Gerber, said the twins were born prematurely and weren’t expected to make it. Instead, they lived 83 years together.

Cook died of a heart attack and Mitchel died from Alzheimer’s complications.

The family believes that the close timing of their deaths is not a coincidence. Gerber told KHOU that, "Helen met Clara in heaven."