I like old phones. I have a black rotary dial phone from the 1940s in my living room. In the kitchen, I have an oak wall phone, with a crank. In the den, there is a 1927 rotary dial candlestick phone.
The interesting thing is that they all work just fine, even the oak wall phone, except that you can't call out on it without hitting the receiver handle 10 times to get an operator.
That said, it is very sad that this old woman paid that lease fee for all those years. It is a shame.
You can dial any number using the same method.
Dial 4 tap the hook 4 times, pause, dial 8 tap the hook 8 times continue this process to dial any number.
I would think that this could be such a PR disaster for the Baby Bell involved that they'd refund her money.