Maytag man visits 42-year-old appliances

OLD FORGE, Pa., Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Maytag's "Lonely Repairman" made a stop at the home of Pennsylvania couple who have had their washer and dryer since 1967 -- but the appliances weren't broken.

Clay Jackson, who portrays Maytag's "Lonely Repairman" on the TV advertisements, visited the home of Fred and Grace Augustine in Old Forge Thursday to congratulate them on the longevity of their Maytag washer and dryer and offer them a new refrigerator to replace their ailing fridge, which is not a Maytag, the Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) Times-Leader reported Friday.

Jackson said the visit and gift were spurred by a letter the couple's daughter, Shirley Karmilovich of Machipongo, Va., sent the company.

"Mom was telling me the washer hose wasn't working and so she had called someone to fix it. And I said, 'Mom, how old is that washer and dryer now?' And she said, 'Well, we bought it in '67 and we moved here in '68 and it's been going ever since,'" Karmilovich said.