Ella L. Lomax, a cosmetologist and a homemaker who raised and cared for more than 30 foster children for nearly half a century, died April 27 at her Ashburton home of congestive heart failure. She was 99.
"I am so, so very thankful to her for my life. I don't know where I'd be today without her," said Dontrell A. Brown, a grocery store produce manager, who was a 4-year-old when he came to Mrs. Lomax's home and remained living there until he graduated from high school.
"It was always family first and God. You could always put your trust in Him," he said. "She made me the man I am today."
The daughter of Samuel Haskins and Clara Haskins, the former Ella Louise Haskins was born in Newport News, Va., and moved in the early 1930s to Baltimore.
She graduated in 1934 from Carver Vocational-Technical High School, where she earned her cosmetology license.
For 35 years, she worked with another cosmetologist in her Preston Street home, and after the woman retired, Mrs. Lomax had a shop in her own home. She retired in 1974.
In 1946, she married Richard Irvin Lomax, a Fort Meade and — later — a National Security Agency motor pool worker. He died in 1980.
A resident of the city's Ashburton neighborhood, Mrs. Lomax and her husband were foster parents for 49 years, beginning in 1960, during which time they raised more than 30 children.
Linda Logan, came to Mrs. Lomax's home in 1967, when she was four days old.
"She was my mom because I never had the opportunity to know my mother. She was my biggest encouragement and made sure that I went to college," said Ms. Logan, who graduated from the University of Baltimore and is a title abstractionist, and owns L.L. Abstracts in Baltimore.
"I could always go to her with my problems and we had a very close relationship. She helped me immeasurably," said Ms. Logan who lives in Cockeysville. "She was always quite pleasant and nice to everybody and had a great rapport with children."
Mrs. Lomax's love and concern for children went far beyond her home.
"It didn't have to be one of her foster children. If she saw a child on the street in need, she'd go and help," said Ms. Logan. "One day she saw a child that needed some clothes and she went home and got them. I saw her do these things all of the time."
"She loved children and she said there were always children out there that need help," said her daughter, Barbara Lomax Cannady of Columbia. "She opened up her home and heart and did whatever needed to be done."
Geneva B. Brown lived with Mrs. Lomax and her husband from 1964 to 1969.
"She was like a real mom and did everything for us. She'd do our hair, drive us places, and we went to church and on vacations as a family, and every evening, we sat down and ate dinner together," said Ms. Brown, who works for the Army Corps of Engineers, and now lives in Orange Park, Fla.
"She always introduced us to people as her sons and daughters not as her foster children," said Ms. Brown. "No one knew we were foster children except the people next door. There was no difference between us and her daughter. We were all treated the same way. This was our home."
Keondre D. Spriggs arrived at Mrs. Lomax's home in 1994, and was her last foster child when he left in 2009.
"She was like a grandma to me and was so pure of heart and so kind," said Mr. Spriggs, who works in sales at Walmart.
"She cared for me and was an all-around good person. She kept me out of trouble when some of my friends were getting into trouble. She kept me intact and stayed on top of me," said Mr. Spriggs, who lives in Baltimore.
"Her home was always very peaceful and if she needed help, I'd help her. If I needed something, she'd help me get it," he said.
"She helped me control my anger rather than me lashing out," said Mr. Brown. "I could always sit down with her and talk about the problems, troubles and issues that were affecting my life. I could always come to her and I knew that she had my back covered."
"She was bubbly and happy and always smiling," recalled Ms. Brown. "She'd correct us if we did something wrong and would make us feel good when we did something nice."
"She had a great personality, stern but loving," said Ms. Cannady. "She was a no-nonsense kind of girl and just loved children."
Mrs. Lomax was 93 years old when her last foster child departed.
She continued to remain close to many of her foster children even after they became adults, her daughter said.
She had been an active member of New Shiloh Baptist Church and its Comfort Choir.
"That was her hobby, singing as first soprano with the church choir," said Ms. Cannady.
Funeral services for Mrs. Lomax will be held at 11 a.m Tuesday at her church, 2100 N. Monroe St.
In addition to her daughter, Mrs. Lomax is survived by four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and at least 10 of her former foster children, according to her daughter.