Giovanni (John) Orrù

b. 25 March 1879, in Mogoro, Cagliari, Sardegna [Sardinia], Italy, the son of Paola Vargioni.

m. Flora de Santis (1892–1973); daughter of Domenico de Santis and Virginia Burchi of Via Napoleone III 70; three children, Paola (Paula) (1912, Italy - 22 Feb 2007; m. Rev. Dr. John W. Buono, Maine, NY; served churches in the Pittsburgh and Wyoming Methodist Conferences); Vanda (Wanda) (1914, Italy–; m. Louis J. Pond; became a school teacher); Tullio Tullis (1918–1977, Sarasota, FL; lived Nokomis, FL; m. Nora Lee Pettit; 1 child: Margaret Christine Orru [1938 - 2015].)

Educated for the ministry in Rome and Turin (DA, MA, DD), and was ordained and worked in a number of Methodist churches in Italy (including Naples, his last charge before moving to the USA).

He arrived in New York on 20 May 1915 (on the Italian-owned SS Stampalia), and only 9 days later filled out the form declaring his intent to become a naturalized US Citizen. The tensions of the time could be seen in the fact that only a little over a year later, the Stampalia would be torpedoed by a German submarine. Flora stayed behind for some time (presumably with her parents, who she returned several times to visit) arrived on the SS America with their two daughters, Paola and Vanda, on 7 September.

His first permanent post was Columbus, OH (where they resided at W. 54th Ave. St. A. Route 5, Franklin County). His next was Boston, MA (where, in 1922 he was lived first at 75 Trenton St., before moving to 37 White St., East Boston, some time prior to 1925). This was followed by Schenectady (where he was between 1928-1932) and Youngstown OH. He taught Italian (one of his students was future CCNA pastor Thomas Tedeschi, q.v.) spoke in other Italian ME Churches on the Italian mission, e.g. in 1937 at the Italian Methodist Episcopal Church in New Castle, PA.

At his retirement in 1941, he was minister of the North East Ohio Conference, pastoring at the Italian Methodist Church, Youngstown, OH.

He died at the home of his daughter, Wanda, 807 Broad St., Endicott. He was buried at Riverhurst Cemetery, Endicott.

Flora died in June 1973, in Johnson City, New York.

Family:

Paola (Paula) (1912, Italy - 22 Feb 2007)'s children with Rev. John Buono were Daniel (Col., U.S. Army Retired; m. Lois Jean; Massanutten, Va.); Barbara (m. LeRoy Youngs, Lisle, N.Y.). Her grandchildren per her obituary were Bradley Buono, Maj. Jeffrey (Mina) Buono, Deborah Youngs, and James Youngs, and her great-grandchildren, Gina Buono, Daniel Buono, and Christina Hannahan-Buono.

Sources:

Ancestry.com

Newspapers.com

Obituary, Paula Buono, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/pressconnects/name/paula-buono-obituary?id=29497498

Obituary, Wanda Pond, https://www.newspapers.com/image/258211453/?terms=%22Tullio%20Orru%22&match=1