Susanna Lacko’s 100th birthday was particularly poignant, franked by a special bond.
Ms Lasko shares the same birthday as her 58-year-old grandson Edward, and they basked in the joint milestone together with close family and residents at Mercy Place nursing home in Dandenong on 24 April.
“It’s always been a big deal to have the same birthday,” Edward says.
“For her to get to 100 and share that important milestone with her is very special.”
A great-great-grandmother, Ms Lasko’s story is also extraordinary – a Polish refugee who made a daring escape as a teenager from a Nazi labour camp during World War II.
Ms Lasko was about 16 when she made a dash from the camp, which was growing vegetables for the German army. It was a brutal place, in which the Polish inmates were taunted and disparaged
“She saw an opportunity to sneak out at midnight,” says Edward – who is compiling her memoir.
“She remembers hiding behind a tree and seeing trucks going past. She thought she would get captured then.
“She managed to get on a train without documents. And she was packing death.”
Ms Lasko arrived at her sister’s house. But within an hour, German SS officers “kicked down” the door.
“She went quietly. (An officer) held up a Luger and told her if you try it again, you’ll get one of these.”
Ms Lasko was taken to a second labour camp, which was led by a more humane ‘burgmeister’ and offered much better treatment, Edward says.
After the war, she and her now-late husband Otto and children Edward senior and Christine fled through Italy from the conquering Russians.
About 6 million Poles died during World War II, including thousands of Polish prisoners of war and officers executed by the Soviets.
Ms Lasko and family settled in Doveton, adding two more children Lillian and Renate. And grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren have followed.
Ms Lasko has lived in the area for many decades, seeing a “plethora of change”.
“I wish I asked more questions about her life when I was younger. But now I’ve started documenting her story,” Edward says.
“She’s an amazing lady.”
