Irene Laskowski (née Andraka), age 96, a resident of Haddon Township, New Jersey passed away on Sunday, January 10, 2021. She was born on January 06, 1925 in Ostrzeiek, Poland. (Near the town of Auqustow) She is the oldest of the three sisters born in Poland.

In July of 1935, at the age of 10, Irene came to America by boat with her mother and two sisters, Alice age 8 and Jean age 6. After that long journey of sea sickness they were able to meet up with their father and settle in "Little Poland", Camden, New Jersey. There she attended Saint Joseph Catholic Church and school, taught by Polish nuns and clergy.

She was an active member of the Polish American Citizen Club and the Polka Dot traveling club. She loved traveling with her friends and was an outstanding avid polka dancer. She could not sit down when a polka was playing! Irene was an excellent seamstress, a professional hairdresser and an incredible mother raising two children on her own. She was also a dedicated daughter who lived with and took care of her parents in their later years. Her sisters were always near by to help. They had a special bond that was inseparable. At that time, Irene was a member of Saint Aloysius Catholic Church in Oaklyn and never missed a service except for illness. She loved the Lord and prayed the rosary every day.