‘Miss Irene’ was born 100 years ago, on November 18, 1924.
As a child, she was Irene Douglas D’Souza but became Irene Douglas D’Souza-Plass when she got married to her first husband.
That marriage yielded one child.
Miss Irene then got married for a second time and then became Irene Douglas D’Souza-Plass-Ferdinand.
The union with Mr Ferdinand, a security guard and coconut vendor – who is referred to as being a popular character in New Amsterdam – yielded two children.
Her second husband passed away in 1976 at age 48. Since then Miss Irene continued to make a living as a domestic worker to raise her children. One of her three has since passed.
Her eldest child Elizabeth Sinclair told this publication that her mother grew up at Vryheid which in those days would have been considered on the outskirts of New Amsterdam.
She attended Romans Girl School which is today known as St Therese’s Primary. She was a Catholic then but later in her life became a Seventh-Day Adventist. However, she is not an ardent churchgoer now because of her failing health.
About one decade ago, Miss Irene was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease which has affected not only her memory but other functions of her body.
Miss Irene is visually impaired and also suffers from a severe hearing impediment.
She has 12 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 17 great-great-grandchildren.
