By David Fleet
947-244-2647
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Brandon Twp. — Born March 21, 1923, Irene (Majoris) Delasko, a long-time Brandon Township resident celebrated her 101th birthday last week with friends and family. Irene was born in rural Barnesboro, Pa. to Slovakian immigrants Catherine and Michael Majoris. The family lived in small coal mining towns before settling in Windber, Pa. where Irene grew up the youngest of eight children. She married Joseph (Joe) Sept. 27, 1941.
“No smoking, drinking and I never exercised,” said Irene during an interview with The Citizen. “My mind is good, I speak well, I can hear great, but my legs don’t move like they did 20 years ago. When you have four kids growing up you’re always on the go. I even passed a driving test when I was in my 80s. My car was in the garage and I finally gave it up, I cried the day they took it.”
No other immediate family member has lived to 100 years old, she added.
“I’m active,” she said. “I still play cards with my grandchildren when they stop by, but we don’t polka anymore, it’s difficult in a wheelchair.”
Irene celebrated Mass everyday for many years and would lead the Rosary at Our Lady of the Lakes.
“I can’t make it to Mass every day, but I went on my birthday,” she said.
Irene has four children, 11 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren and three great-great grandchild.