Looking for an old friend...

[SirPeale]

I have a friend from school that I've lost touch with.  Parents don't seem to live in the same place they used to, or their number is private.  I've since lost their number I had over the years.

Normally when I want to find someone I do a Google search (it's suprisingly helpful 95% of the time finding people).  I don't want to stoop to using one of those pay services unless I have to, and even then...well, I'm a cheap bast.

Places I've tried:

1) Google.Com
2) Classmates.Com
3) Whitepages.com
4) 411.Com

And a smattering of others.  Has anyone else tried something similar?

[Shape D.]

I know it may sound wierd but try looking under your states criminal record search. I've found a couple people that way before.

Note: not saying your friends a criminal, they have speeding tickets on those too.

Example for Wisconsin: http://wcca.wicourts.gov/index.xsl

[SirPeale]

Problem is I don't know what state; pretty sure she moved out of state, and I don't know where that is.

Ah yes, and my friend is a 'she' so if she got married, and changed her name, that further confounds the search.

[Shape D.]

Can you find anyone else she was friends with? they may know.

[SOAPboy]

Problem is I don't know what state; pretty sure she moved out of state, and I don't know where that is.

Ah yes, and my friend is a 'she' so if she got married, and changed her name, that further confounds the search.

i have one of those friends..


she totally disapeared.. tryed everything short of a private investigator..

[SirPeale]

Can you find anyone else she was friends with? they may know.

We didn't go to school together; she lived out of state.  So who any of her school friends were, I have no clue.  We met at a church gathering back in '90, and I lost touch somewhere around '96-'97.  So almost ten years...it'll be tough.

[shmokes]

This is a long shot but I successfully tracked someone like this down.  I was lucky enough to have saved emails from her that she had CC:ed to multiple people.  You know....some cute story or joke or whatever that she would send to all her friends that she had on an email list. 

Well...I lost contact with her and she quit using that email address, but I wanted to invite her to my wedding.  So I emailed all the other people on her old email list telling them that I was trying to get in touch with her and if any of them could tell me how, or at least forward to her my contact information and let her know that I was trying to find her. 

Less then a week later I got an ecstatic email from her.  That was about three years ago...haven't lost contact since.

[SirPeale]

That's a great idea!  I do have a couple forwards, I'll give it a shot.

Edit: that bombed.  What do you expect?  99% of the addresses were ten year old college email addresses.

[danny_galaga]

just mention to someone in passing that you think she was 'un-american'. i bet THE MAN can track her down for you 

[quarterback]

That's a great idea!

[DrewKaree]

and you guys thought stalking served no useful purpose!

Peale, what about searching for any family member (just searching for her last name) and calling them?

And...um....you're married, and seeming to be searching AWFULLY hard for a "friend" you don't know much about.  Are you sure you're not stalking her....because you need a few stalker pointers

[quarterback]

and you guys thought stalking served no useful purpose!

And some people think being a pack-rat is a bad thing.  Clearly the scrap of paper that was sitting next to my phone in 1989 when I wrote down this girl's sister's phone number was something worth keeping

[RayB]

Years ago, most web portals had a "People Finder" option which worked amazingly. These services still exist, but now they charge. So try one of those.

Here is Yahoo people search: http://people.yahoo.com/

[SirPeale]

Peale, what about searching for any family member (just searching for her last name) and calling them?

I've already looked for her parents.  I remember her dad's name, but not her moms.  He had some heart problems back ten years ago, so it's possible that he's dead, sorry to say. 

And...um....you're married, and seeming to be searching AWFULLY hard for a "friend" you don't know much about.  Are you sure you're not stalking her....because you need a few stalker pointers

Oh, I know plenty about her, we were really good friends for about seven years.  But sometimes...stuff happens.  People lose touch.

[Bones]

I tried to track down an old buddy from 15 years back. I failed. Almost 2 years after the search and giving up, he contacted me out of the blue!

If you hit a brick wall but your details are "out there", perhaps she will contact you in time.

[RayB]

One technique would be to post a web page that scores well on searches for her own name. People sometimes google their names just for kicks.

[quarterback]

One technique would be to post a web page that scores well on searches for her own name. People sometimes google their names just for kicks.

That's actually a great idea. 

There was some point that I was going to set up a page to track down a group of people I spent a summer with overseas.  I never got around to it but that's one tactic I was going to use.  Not only do people Google their own names, but also the names of their friends and relatives. You never know who might stop by and pass on a message.

[SirPeale]

Hm...an interesting idea.  I should do that with some other friends I've been trying to find as well.