Every town needs a John Ellis

A great hometown ambassador retires from Ogden Telephone Company after 42 years

Although the community will still see his friendly wave and genuine smile about town, John Ellis will no longer be wearing shirts embroidered with the words “Ogden Telephone Company.” For 42 years  he proudly displayed his company’s name.

Ellis recently retired as General Manager of Ogden Telephone Company. 

A retirement open house is being held in his honor Sunday, July 21 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Leonard Good Community Center.

“The telephone company was an excellent place to work and a great experience for me,” said Ellis of his almost life-long career. Except for six years of working in his dad’s bakery following high school graduation, Ellis has been at the Ogden telephone office.

Not going into the office everyday is quite a change for Ellis. But his co-workers and the public is what he’ll miss the most. “I won’t get to see these people every day.

When Ellis was hired May 15, 1972 as an outside plant technician there were only three employees besides himself: General Manager Gerald Anderson, bookkeeper Helen Coler, and technician Jerry Pharaoh.

 “It was pretty basic back then,” commented Ellis. “ We didn’t have cable TV or Internet - just the telephone. And you couldn’t own phones. You had to lease. Back then you knew everybody in the community because you went to their homes to do service work. But, due to advancements in technology, we have seen a big change in customer service.” He notices there is less and less face-to-face communication.

Ellis explained how at the time, the telephone company was an open wire plant. There were eight party lines and very few private lines. Because of shared phone lines local calls were limited. Conversation timing cut the connection after six minutes.

Ellis recalled that in 1973 the company was in the process of burying the entire exchange when an ice storm struck, taking down poles and lines throughout the entire area. “We worked through the night running jumpers to the houses,” he said. “It was a huge job. What a mess. We spent a month getting everyone hooked up.”

Read the full article in the July 17 edition of the Ogden Reporter.