Ida A. (Buganza) Manfredo

Ida Adelin (Buganza) Manfredo, age 102, a life-long resident of Tyler, PA and Penfield, PA died quietly in her sleep on Sunday, June 13, 2021 at Christ the King Manor in Dubois, PA where she had lived for the past seven years.

Ida was born in Tyler on Nov. 27, 1918, the youngest of nine children of Silvio and Palma (Fenice) Buganza: Joseph, Pete , Neal, Mary Scanish, Theresa Escavage, Clara (Dola) Chiappelli, Alexander (known as Bob) and Leo, all now deceased. She was married to Joseph Manfredo (D. 2000), also a lifetime resident of Tyler and Penfield, in 1948 at Saint Stanislaus Kostka Church in Tyler where they were parishioners.

Ida served in the US Marines Corps Women’s Reserve, including active duty from April, 1943 – October, 1945, achieving the rank of Corporal. She was among the first women to serve as a US Marine which began enlisting women in February 1943. As a Marine, she was a communications specialist, expert in Morse Code, and spent the war years posted in Santa Barbara, California. She was one of the small group of area WWII veterans who attended the dedication of the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge on Route 153, near her Penfield home in 2015.

In Penfield, Ida graduated Huston Township High School in 1937 and was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church after the merging of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Church. She served on the Penfield School Board when the decision was made to merge with the Dubois school system. She worked for many years at the Sylvania plant in Emporium, followed by work at Brockway Glass in Brockway. When she retired, she enjoyed several trips to Europe with a group of retired school teachers.

Ida is survived by two of her four children, MaryJo Manfredo (Ray) Boyer of Evanston, IL and John (Janice Sheldon) Manfredo of Dubois. Her two other sons predeceased her: Joseph, Jr. (D. 2016) (Venetia Nolan, D. 2005) of Dubois and Gregory (D. 1997) of Penfield; and a grandson, Joseph Alexander Manfredo (D. in infancy).

She is also survived by nine grandchildren and one great grandson. John’s children: Joey (Nora Graves), Molly (Samuel) DeCroes, Max (Sara Heflin) and their son, Luca; MaryJo’s children: Joseph (Maya Hobscheid), Nicholas (Kaitlyn Luzader) and John; Joseph’s children: Matthew and Rachael.

Visitation will be held on Friday, June 18, 2021 from 4 – 7 p.m. and again on Saturday, from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., at the Ralph M. Geer Funeral Home of Penfield.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00 a.m., Saturday June 19, 2021, at the St. Joseph Catholic Church of Force, PA with Father Mark Mastrian, celebrant.

Military Honors will be accorded by the Bennetts Valley American Legion Post 978 Burial Detail.

Interment will take place in the Church Cemetery alongside her husband, sons and many relatives.

The family suggests memorials to Christ the King Manor or St. Joseph’s Parish and will be accepting online condolences at www.nedzafamilyfuneralhomes.com.