By Anne Pomykala
To make ends meet, Katherine Skura took in borders during the depression. One of these borders was Thaddeus (Ted) Pomykala, who was eight years older than Helen, but also divorced with two children. A romantic attraction developed, and they eloped on January 25, 1932. Helen was 18 years old at the time and Ted 25. With both families Catholic, there was a great amount of objection to the marriage. Ted's father Andrzej (Andrew) was born Nov. 21, 1860, in Zarszyn, a small town in Galicia 119 miles east of Krakow, Poland, and immigrated to Baltimore in 1880. Andrew returned to Poland in 1885 and was married, yet his first wife died while giving birth. He then married his second wife Marianna Czyz (born Feb. 2, 1869) on Feb., 13 1888 and came back to Baltimore where Marianna's brother Anthony Czyz lived and worked as a tailor. Their son Edmund Pomykala was born Nov. 24, 1897. After making some money as a tailor for the US Naval Academy, they returned to Poland and purchased a store, but were unsuccessful (they were good natured and sold too many goods on credit not to be paid back), and returned for the last time to the United States in 1905, and moved to Newark NJ where Ted was born in March 14, 1906.
After their marriage, Helen and Ted Pomykala moved to the Washington D. C. area where Ted worked at Martin & Boyd Springworks as an ironworker. Ronald Adam was born on March 7, 1934. A year later, a tubal pregnancy ended Helen’s childbearing years. Ron can remember his father coming home every night covered with the soot and grime of the fires. However, at 5:30 every night, his father would appear for dinner showered and shaved and absolutely immaculate. After dinner, Ron would sit on his lap and Ted would read the newspaper.
Helen was a very family orientated person. In 1939, she and Ted visited Wanda to take her two nephews, Mush and John to the World Fair, a trip which Mush never forgot. The baby, Ron was left with Wanda. Mush still remembers the National Geographic subscriptions and fruitcake which arrived every Christmas. Ron was nicknamed “Dunda Baby” by John and Mush Cesario. At the age of 50, John still called Ronnie “Dunda Baby” when he visited for a wedding.
Ted loved playing the numbers and other games of chance. Once when he lost his entire paycheck, Helen laid down the law, chased him with a knife, and it never happened again. The paycheck, at this time in cash, was handed over sealed to Helen, and Ted would receive $5 for gas, cigarettes and perhaps a beer. On the other side, Ted used to make extra money on payday by loaning out money to fellow workers at a high amount of interest. He also would lend out his Chevrolet for a fee. This was OK with Helen who certainly made the decisions in the family. They used to visit Savannah to see Ted’s two boys, Teddy and Raymond who were being raised by Ted’s mother. When the two brothers were in their teens, they came to live with Helen and Ted for a short time. Helen, who was just a few years older than the teenagers, found it very difficult to keep the peace.
In January of 1942, a house was purchased at 3508 Hamilton Street in Hyattsville, MD. In the 1940’s, Helen worked at IBM producing war bonds for the war effort. In the 1950’s, Helen and Ted went into business by buying a gas station at 4th and Blair Roads in Tacoma Park. The effort was doomed to failure since, according to Helen, Ted gave away too much of the product to anyone with a hard luck story.
Although non-religious herself, Helen brought Ron up in the Catholic Church. Sometimes, Ted would accompany him to the Church; but many times, Ron went alone. Not liking the public schools, Helen sent Ron to St. Aloysius, in downtown Washington D. C. for eighth grade. Ted would drive Ron to New York Avenue, a short distance from Ted’s work and then he would walk to school. He would return home by bus and streetcar. This gave Ron a half scholarship to Gonzaga High School. And from there, a half scholarship to Georgetown University and then to Georgetown Dental School ensued.
Ron met his wife Anne at a Thursday night Novena at St. Jerome’s Church, Hyattsville, Md. Six children followed in quick succession, three boys (Joseph, Brian and Daniel) and three girls (Mary, Jeanne, and Cristin). Ted was doted on by the grandchildren. He taught them important skills like catching crabs with chicken necks and the fun of a horizontal tire swing which he constructed for them in the backyard. Helen was respected and held in awe. Every other Saturday, they would take three of the grandchildren on a trip and in the summer, to Ocean City. Helen took her role as grandparent very seriously. Even today, the children talk about the lessons in life that Helen taught them. Helen’s quotes are very popular. She was again a disciplinarian. If misbehaving, she took the initiative and a swat on their rear was a potent reminder.
After graduation from dental school, Ron spent two years in the Navy first in Kingsville, Texas, where Anne graduated from Texas College of Arts & Industries. Ron was next assigned to San Diego on the USS Nobel, a ready ship for Vietnam. The ship was at sea mostly in the Philippines. Ron and the medical officer were avid collectors at each port of call. Medical bay was called “The Museum.” Ron bought a Yamaha baby grand piano which the crew did not appreciate as they were the ones to move it.
After returning home, Ron with his wife Anne bought a home on River Road in Bethesda, MD. The furniture from California was due on Christmas day, 1963, but the truck, delayed, by snow arrived the following morning. Helen and Ted were happy to have Mary Sharon and Jeanne for Christmas day. Anne’s father built a three operatory dental office attached to this house. When Ron purchased Dr. Kennedy’s practice, he took on two new associates, and later bought another practice in Hyattsville. Patients included Supreme Court Justice Rehnquist, Senator and Mrs. Heinz, Senator Danforth, and Vice Presidential contender, Senator Eagleton and their families. At the age of 74, Ron still practices four days a week but at a slower pace. He loves dentistry.
Anne was very active in Girl Scouts. In the seventies, with scouting at its lowest ebb, she had a senior troop with over 60 scouts from throughout the Washington area. Even her boys would go on the trips as they included all the high adventure sports, sailing, canoeing, white water rafting, spelunking, and climbing. At the local high school, the scouts decided to go public (scouting was thought to be very square) and published a picture of six of the scouts in the school newspaper climbing the cliffs at Carderock as a tribute to their leader.
In 1985, life took an entirely new turn as Ron & Anne bought, at auction, a historic mansion in Greenspring Valley. To help with the renovations, they decided to shake hands with Uncle Sam and make a Bed & Breakfast for the tax advantages. But success was in the offing. The Washington Post ran a page and three quarters with five color pictures called Bed, Breakfast and Basil. Needless to say, Anne has been busy ever since. When their youngest daughter Cristin decided to join the operation, weddings became another avenue of success. They also have the oldest continuously operated organic farm in the state and today raise culinary herbs being among the first to be certified organic. With the attention to the organic movement, the money losing farm has now become very much of a profit center. In 2003, Anne & Ron decided to expand and bought the former Baltimore City Life Museums from Baltimore City after a long bid process. The property contains six rowhouses which have been renovated into a 13 room bed & breakfast inn as well as the four story iron fronted Fava building with the 1840s Ballroom and space for a restaurant. Construction in 2008 will include a garage and 9 room addition to the Bed & Breakfast.
Helen and Ted were married 50 years. Ted was very sick with cancer when Ron gave them a vacation to St. Thomas in the Caribbean for their 50th anniversary present. Helen refused to go, thinking that Ted would die on the trip. Ron cancelled his patients for that week and went instead; Helen still refusing to go. The trip to St. Thomas proved to be a good father and son trip. Helen died 12 years later, also of lung cancer, a testament to their non-stop smoking.
To make ends meet, Katherine Skura took in borders during the depression. One of these borders was Thaddeus (Ted) Pomykala, who was eight years older than Helen, but also divorced with two children. A romantic attraction developed, and they eloped on January 25, 1932. Helen was 18 years old at the time and Ted 25. With both families Catholic, there was a great amount of objection to the marriage. Ted's father Andrzej (Andrew) was born Nov. 21, 1860, in Zarszyn, a small town in Galicia 119 miles east of Krakow, Poland, and immigrated to Baltimore in 1880. Andrew returned to Poland in 1885 and was married, yet his first wife died while giving birth. He then married his second wife Marianna Czyz (born Feb. 2, 1869) on Feb., 13 1888 and came back to Baltimore where Marianna's brother Anthony Czyz lived and worked as a tailor. Their son Edmund Pomykala was born Nov. 24, 1897. After making some money as a tailor for the US Naval Academy, they returned to Poland and purchased a store, but were unsuccessful (they were good natured and sold too many goods on credit not to be paid back), and returned for the last time to the United States in 1905, and moved to Newark NJ where Ted was born in March 14, 1906.
After their marriage, Helen and Ted Pomykala moved to the Washington D. C. area where Ted worked at Martin & Boyd Springworks as an ironworker. Ronald Adam was born on March 7, 1934. A year later, a tubal pregnancy ended Helen’s childbearing years. Ron can remember his father coming home every night covered with the soot and grime of the fires. However, at 5:30 every night, his father would appear for dinner showered and shaved and absolutely immaculate. After dinner, Ron would sit on his lap and Ted would read the newspaper.
Helen was a very family orientated person. In 1939, she and Ted visited Wanda to take her two nephews, Mush and John to the World Fair, a trip which Mush never forgot. The baby, Ron was left with Wanda. Mush still remembers the National Geographic subscriptions and fruitcake which arrived every Christmas. Ron was nicknamed “Dunda Baby” by John and Mush Cesario. At the age of 50, John still called Ronnie “Dunda Baby” when he visited for a wedding.
Ted loved playing the numbers and other games of chance. Once when he lost his entire paycheck, Helen laid down the law, chased him with a knife, and it never happened again. The paycheck, at this time in cash, was handed over sealed to Helen, and Ted would receive $5 for gas, cigarettes and perhaps a beer. On the other side, Ted used to make extra money on payday by loaning out money to fellow workers at a high amount of interest. He also would lend out his Chevrolet for a fee. This was OK with Helen who certainly made the decisions in the family. They used to visit Savannah to see Ted’s two boys, Teddy and Raymond who were being raised by Ted’s mother. When the two brothers were in their teens, they came to live with Helen and Ted for a short time. Helen, who was just a few years older than the teenagers, found it very difficult to keep the peace.
In January of 1942, a house was purchased at 3508 Hamilton Street in Hyattsville, MD. In the 1940’s, Helen worked at IBM producing war bonds for the war effort. In the 1950’s, Helen and Ted went into business by buying a gas station at 4th and Blair Roads in Tacoma Park. The effort was doomed to failure since, according to Helen, Ted gave away too much of the product to anyone with a hard luck story.
Although non-religious herself, Helen brought Ron up in the Catholic Church. Sometimes, Ted would accompany him to the Church; but many times, Ron went alone. Not liking the public schools, Helen sent Ron to St. Aloysius, in downtown Washington D. C. for eighth grade. Ted would drive Ron to New York Avenue, a short distance from Ted’s work and then he would walk to school. He would return home by bus and streetcar. This gave Ron a half scholarship to Gonzaga High School. And from there, a half scholarship to Georgetown University and then to Georgetown Dental School ensued.
Helen was a strict disciplinarian and used the belt on Ron. The threat was enough to keep him very obedient. Prior to the first grade, Helen made Ron spend an hour per day learning to figure and read before he could play. Toys were few during this time. Ron loved playing ball with his friends. He can remember at thirteen, complaining that no one would hire him and trying to figure out how could he make money. Helen solved the problem by helping him purchase Royal Crown sodas at 3 1/3 cents each, delivered to the house. He would then turn around and sell the iced sodas to workers at a local construction site for 10 cents each. This was a very valuable lesson in life that Ron never forgot. The $330 profit became his first investment in the stock market in which he bought Eversharp. He also had a paper route which financed his first bike of which he was immensely proud.
Magic had a great appeal to Ron during his teens and he was thinking that this might be his lifelong career. He patronized the Washington D. C. magic shops and met many famous magicians, including Harry Blackstone. At age 16, Ron became a lifetime member of the Magicians Alliance of the Eastern States. Ron had so much fun with this group. He can remember them taking off his belt, and picking his pocket with out him realizing what was happening. Once, at a magic convention in Philadelphia, he startled the professionals by taking advantage of opportunity. The magician on the elevator had the same card pack in his hand as Ron had in his right jacket pocket. With showmanship, he took the pack and put it into his left pocket. When he produced what appeared to be the same pack from his right pocket, they were astounded by this “kid”. It was the magic of illusion! Helen saved what is now a tattered brown copy of a picture in The Washington Star with Ron in a complete clown suit with clown make up performing for a group of children. But finally Ron decided that magic was on the way out not realizing that there were still great performers to come like Siegfried & Roy. Later in life Anne & Ron were greatly entertained by their performance in Las Vegas.
Magic had a great appeal to Ron during his teens and he was thinking that this might be his lifelong career. He patronized the Washington D. C. magic shops and met many famous magicians, including Harry Blackstone. At age 16, Ron became a lifetime member of the Magicians Alliance of the Eastern States. Ron had so much fun with this group. He can remember them taking off his belt, and picking his pocket with out him realizing what was happening. Once, at a magic convention in Philadelphia, he startled the professionals by taking advantage of opportunity. The magician on the elevator had the same card pack in his hand as Ron had in his right jacket pocket. With showmanship, he took the pack and put it into his left pocket. When he produced what appeared to be the same pack from his right pocket, they were astounded by this “kid”. It was the magic of illusion! Helen saved what is now a tattered brown copy of a picture in The Washington Star with Ron in a complete clown suit with clown make up performing for a group of children. But finally Ron decided that magic was on the way out not realizing that there were still great performers to come like Siegfried & Roy. Later in life Anne & Ron were greatly entertained by their performance in Las Vegas.
After graduation from dental school, Ron spent two years in the Navy first in Kingsville, Texas, where Anne graduated from Texas College of Arts & Industries. Ron was next assigned to San Diego on the USS Nobel, a ready ship for Vietnam. The ship was at sea mostly in the Philippines. Ron and the medical officer were avid collectors at each port of call. Medical bay was called “The Museum.” Ron bought a Yamaha baby grand piano which the crew did not appreciate as they were the ones to move it.
After returning home, Ron with his wife Anne bought a home on River Road in Bethesda, MD. The furniture from California was due on Christmas day, 1963, but the truck, delayed, by snow arrived the following morning. Helen and Ted were happy to have Mary Sharon and Jeanne for Christmas day. Anne’s father built a three operatory dental office attached to this house. When Ron purchased Dr. Kennedy’s practice, he took on two new associates, and later bought another practice in Hyattsville. Patients included Supreme Court Justice Rehnquist, Senator and Mrs. Heinz, Senator Danforth, and Vice Presidential contender, Senator Eagleton and their families. At the age of 74, Ron still practices four days a week but at a slower pace. He loves dentistry.
Anne was very active in Girl Scouts. In the seventies, with scouting at its lowest ebb, she had a senior troop with over 60 scouts from throughout the Washington area. Even her boys would go on the trips as they included all the high adventure sports, sailing, canoeing, white water rafting, spelunking, and climbing. At the local high school, the scouts decided to go public (scouting was thought to be very square) and published a picture of six of the scouts in the school newspaper climbing the cliffs at Carderock as a tribute to their leader.
In 1985, life took an entirely new turn as Ron & Anne bought, at auction, a historic mansion in Greenspring Valley. To help with the renovations, they decided to shake hands with Uncle Sam and make a Bed & Breakfast for the tax advantages. But success was in the offing. The Washington Post ran a page and three quarters with five color pictures called Bed, Breakfast and Basil. Needless to say, Anne has been busy ever since. When their youngest daughter Cristin decided to join the operation, weddings became another avenue of success. They also have the oldest continuously operated organic farm in the state and today raise culinary herbs being among the first to be certified organic. With the attention to the organic movement, the money losing farm has now become very much of a profit center. In 2003, Anne & Ron decided to expand and bought the former Baltimore City Life Museums from Baltimore City after a long bid process. The property contains six rowhouses which have been renovated into a 13 room bed & breakfast inn as well as the four story iron fronted Fava building with the 1840s Ballroom and space for a restaurant. Construction in 2008 will include a garage and 9 room addition to the Bed & Breakfast.
Helen and Ted were married 50 years. Ted was very sick with cancer when Ron gave them a vacation to St. Thomas in the Caribbean for their 50th anniversary present. Helen refused to go, thinking that Ted would die on the trip. Ron cancelled his patients for that week and went instead; Helen still refusing to go. The trip to St. Thomas proved to be a good father and son trip. Helen died 12 years later, also of lung cancer, a testament to their non-stop smoking.
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