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December 1, 2011

For 50 years, she always answered the call

Not since 1960 has Cooperstown been without the service of Coleman Answering Service. The company was started by Dolores Coleman in 1961, when she ran the business from her home in Cooperstown at 79 Beaver St. But after 50 years of ringing phones, morning, noon and night, Coleman has finally hung up the phone.

For 50 years, Coleman answered the call for  most events in and around the village of Cooperstown.Whether it be a late-night call during calving  season or the unpleasant call about the deathof a loved one, her phone and service were there where Coleman tended to the unending sounds of the ringing phone.

Born and raised in Cooperstown, Coleman graduated high school and went to work for the  telephone company. In 1948, she married CharlesColeman and had three sons, Charles, and later, twins, Clifford and Carter.

“One year a good friend, Tom Goodyear, and customer of the phone company invited all us telephone girls to a party at Cary Mede Farm, and asked me what I wanted to do with the rest of my life,” said Coleman.

Her reply was much like any young person’s would be – she really did not know. “How about running an answering service here in Cooperstown?” asked Goodyear. Coleman’s response was no.

“I just didn’t think we would have that many customers.” Coleman said.

According to Coleman, Goodyear said with his help they would. So on July 3,  1961, a switchboard wasplaced in Coleman’s home and with the help of Goodyear, the Coleman Answering Service was in business.

“We started with seven customers that year,” Coleman said. “And by the end of the year we were up to 14.”

She ran that switchboard day and night for 20 years, but on September 25, 1981 they switched to, as Coleman put it, “an oversized telephone.”

Over the course of those 50 years, Coleman’s customers reached more than a hundred, and at one point handled 37 customers at one time, according to Coleman. There were the local funeral homes in town, many physicians, veterinarians, Kirns Auto Body, The Automobile Association, The Red Cross and the police department, just to name a few.

Laura Coleman, who is Dolores’ daughter-in-law, said, “The phone was always ringing.”

So how did the family feel about the non-stop ringing of the phone?

“Well my kids loved it and hated it, I think,” Dolores said. “It gave me a chance to always be home for them and of course I was just a phone call away.”

After asking Coleman if she hates the sound of a ringing phone, she laughed and said, “I actually miss it sometimes.”

After her 50 years, four months, and four days in service, Dolores recently sold her answering service to a company in Albany. Dolores’ daughter-in-law said, “she was very concerned that her loyal customers be well served by the new company, as many became good friends, and were no longer just customers.”

Dolores and her husband recently sold their home on Beaver Street and moved to the Cooper Lane Apartments in Cooperstown where they will start enjoying their retirement.

Laura said, “She looks forward to walking to town, having lunches with old friends, shopping, and all the other pleasures she was not able  to do since she was alwaysanswering the phones.”

Dolores no longer has the switchboard that she started with in 1961, nor did she keep the “oversized telephone,” but she does keep an array of antique phones that she has displayed within her apartment.

Dolores’ family will be throwing her a retirement party on Saturday with family and past customers to honor her dedication to her trade.

Dolores and Charles’ 63rd wedding anniversary will also be celebrated.

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