4/1/2000
By Kathleen W. Hinckley
Lost track? Lost touch? A private investigator and author of "Locating Lost Family Members & Friends" reveals how to track down your living relatives and absent friends.
Television talk shows often dramatize the reunion of family members or friends. You know the scene: touching stories, emotional hugs, an abundance of tears.
The reunited families have similar stories. They searched for years and had given up hope of finding their parent, child or sibling. The impression is that finding a long-lost family member is nearly impossible unless you're a private investigator or specialist in locating persons.
But you don't have to be Sam Spade or V.I. Warshawski to track down lost pieces of your past. Finding someone can be difficult, but in most cases, you can do it yourself with some patience and tenacity. You can be your own detective and find a classmate, military buddy, first love or missing relative.