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Embracing Old Technology

Writer's picture: Noreen JorgensenNoreen Jorgensen

My Dad's old John Morrell phone
My Dad's old John Morrell phone

When I see this old telephone I am reminded of simpler times. We had more patience. More tolerance. And didn't know how wonderful life really was.


This telephone was the centerpiece of my Dad's desk at his country hog buying station for John Morrell in Flandreau SD. This was the way my dad was informed by his boss in Sioux Falls what price he was to pay farmers for their hogs that day. I remember him paying upwards of $.42 per pound for premium hogs. I was so proud of him when he was asked by the local fair board to judge the 4H hogs at the Moody county fair. He could tell the weight of a hog within 5 lbs. I was amazed by him!


The phone was also how farmers called him to see what the price was, and if it was agreeable, they would make an appointment to bring their pigs in that day. Now, when I say 'appointment' I mean they could arrive anywhere between an hour or 3 of that phone call. If it was planting or harvest time, many times the hogs would arrive in a horse trailer with the farm wife behind the wheel. Dad knew the rigs of all his customers and he knew that when any particular trailer would come in the driveway, he put down his gloves, walked out to the pickup, the farm wife got out, dad got in and perfectly backed the horse trailer up to the chute. I know the farm wives sure appreciated the extra help.


Dad used this phone to call into the radio station KNUJ over in New Ulm MN to request a polka be played in honor of my Mom's birthday. He thought he was pretty romantic...Mom, not so much. She wanted something a little more personal. Dad always came through though, and I have a curio cabinet full of purple glassware that he bought her. Her birthday was in February and amethyst is the birthstone. Dad always came through with an orchid corsage for her birthday and Mothers Day too. He was an old softy and established this tradition on Prom night 1955 when Mom was his date.


The phone might have rung when Dad was out in the yard sorting pigs. It might have rung when he was at the West End Cafe having lunch. It might have rung after 3:00 when he was already on his way down to the dam on the Big Sioux River to put his pole in to hopefully catch supper. But Dad didn't know about these missed calls, neither did he care. We lived in a time when if you called someone and they didn't answer, you didn't get angry or upset. You didn't go to social media to list a negative review. There was no way to leave a message or send a text. You just had to be patient and call later. Dad kept his sanity by being able to leave the job behind. I wish we could go back to those times. We all treated each other with a little more respect then.


So I hope on this Sunday you are able to put the phone down. Mute the notifications. Go outside and realize that all the bad news on the TV doesn't really matter in this moment of sanity.

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