Women born on Feb. 29 turn 13, 15 and 19

By JOHN SCHULTZ
jschultz@cninow.com

Posted: Feb. 27, 2008

Tomorrow is a big day for "Leapin' Linda," "Leaprechaun" and "Leapette."

Of course, those aren't their real names, but their leap-year nicknames.

Leapin' Linda is New Berlin resident Linda Myers. Leaprechaun is Muskegoan Leone Schnetz (she's Irish), and Leapette, the youngest of the trio, is Sue Berg Roedel of New Berlin.

The three women all were born on Feb. 29. They have been getting together for lunch every year around the time of their birthdays since about 1995, but this year they will have something special to celebrate.

Not only can they celebrate on the exact day since it's leap year, but people everywhere might be able to catch a glimpse of Leapin' Linda and Leapette on "The Martha Stewart Show." As leap-day babies, all three were invited to New York earlier this week for the taping of Stewart's show, which will air at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 29.

Schnetz decided not to go, but the other two said they were eager to make the trip. The invite came after Myers' story impressed Stewart's producers.

"Tell us about yourself and how you celebrate your birthday" was the online request from Stewart's producers. The producers invited 164 leap-year babies to the taping of the special show.

"I have two leap-day sisters," Myers wrote. "We get together every year to celebrate our birthday, including nonleap years. We have been wowing people with our unusual birth date and leap year trivia knowledge for many years."

Common birthday a bond

Though the three are not real sisters, they got to know each other because of their birthday and the fact they are all involved in the real estate business in some manner. Myers is an accounting administrator with Re/Max Realty, Berg Roedel is a mortgage loan officer with Great Midwest Bank, and Schnetz is a retired real estate agent.

In the letter to Stewart's producers, Myers pointed out this year would be a very special birthday for her. She will be turning 15 - that's 60 for those with annual birthdays.

"I turn 13 (52) this year," Berg Roedel said. "My youngest son is 14. You know, I've never considered this before - my oldest son is twice my age."

Eating up the attention

Leap-day birthday coincidences can be the jumping-off point for a lot of fun with numbers, but Schnetz just can't help getting her Irish heritage involved in her birthday celebration.

"I celebrate all the way to St. Patrick's Day," she said.

She'll be 19 (76) this year, but she hasn't burned herself out celebrating that way for more than three-quarters of a century. She's also not too proud to prey on the sympathy of others.

"A lot of people feel sorry for you (having a birthday just once every four years)," she said. "Then they take me out to lunch."

She's been getting special treatment for being a leap-day baby ever since she was 4, er, 16. The Minnesota native went to a doctor's appointment as a teenager, and when the doctor found out she was the baby he had delivered on leap day, her treatment was on the house.

"I was the only leap-day baby he ever delivered," Schnetz said.

Schnetz then turned a bit serious.

"I've had a varied and interesting life, some of that due to being born on leap day," she said. "You develop an independent spirit. You're different right away."

Tradition also states leap day is the woman's chance to ask the man to marry her.

"There's lots of talk about that, but I don't know anyone who did it," Schnetz said.

Myers said she met her future husband in October 1967 and thought about asking him to marry her on Feb. 29, 1968.

But instead she waited for him to ask in November 1969. They will be married 38 years in May.

John Schultz can be reached at (262) 446-6611.

Leone Schnetz (left), tells her leap year birthday story Feb. 12 at the New Berlin Public Library. Schnetz shares the birthday with friends Sue Berg Roedel (center) and Linda Myers. Myers and Roedel will appear on Martha Stewert's television show this year, in celebration of their special day. Technically, all three women are teenagers; Schnetz is 19, Roedel is 13 and Myers is 15. NOW Photo by Katie Derksen