Dedication and memory

The Ralph Pomeroy Senior Housing building at Hollywood and Kenmore was rededicated on November 4, 2011. The ceremony was a celebration of the CHA project to rehab the apartments in this 80+ year old Edgewater building. The building was named for Ralph Pomeroy when the CHA purchased it in the 1980s.

Rev. Ralph J Pomeroy became assistant pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church, 1244 W. Thorndale, in July, 1945. He quickly became an active leader not only of the church but of the community. He met his wife Dorothy at Bethany, where her father was the organist. They were married on Easter Sunday 1948 and were blessed with four children – Justin, David, Deborah and Mark (who died in infancy). After the senior pastor at Bethany retired in 1949, Rev. Pomeroy became the church’s full time pastor.

He and his wife also cared for over 80 foster children during their marriage. And adopted three of them, Eric, Lori and Robert. Pastor Pomeroy was a community activist until his death in November 1977. He was one of the founding members of the Edgewater Community Council, the Edgewater Clergy and Rabbi Association and Care for Real. He was particularly interested in helping children and teenagers and began many programs at Bethany for them. There were active gangs in the community and he worked with them and the police to improve the situation. He was also well known at Senn High School and many, many teenagers came to him when they needed help. He was always there for them whether it was a place to stay, food, and even bond money. On the day of his funeral, there was a line over a block long outside of Bethany of students from Senn High School who wanted to pay their respects. His legacy has lived on in the organizations he helped to organize and it would be impossible to say how many young people had their lives changed and became productive citizens because of his care and concern.