Having done what I can to pay tribute to the dead, I have moved on to try to find contact information for the living. I am using resources previously found while doing genealogical research.

1. I start by taking the full legal name from the graduation booklet. If you want a copy of this I could scan it for you and send the scans as photo attachments to an Email.

2. I go to the California Birth Index, enter the full legal name and the year 1944 plus or minus 2. Most of us were born in the Bay Area, so I take a match of the name in the date range in California as being correct. If no California birth record shows up, I enlarge my scope to the whole US on Ancestry. The California Birth Index is available free on other sites but Ancestry is easier.

3. I also look in the California Marriage (and Divorce) Indexes to get a marriage name and date, if available. Nevada indexes also show up on Ancestry and some of us are there.

4. I look for an entry from the California Death Index or Social Security Death index which matches the name(s) and date previously elicited. I've only found one death we didn't already know about but we may find more. None of us are getting any younger. I listed that on the site. At the bottom of the "In Memory" page is a link to add a death if you know of one.

5. I also look to see any directory listings. Apparently old phone books somehow knew our date of birth. So I match my name and date of birth to see what they have for an address. I haven't found any listings there later than 1994 but it's a start.

6. Rejoicing that I haven't had to list a death, I go to WhitePages.com. You get more info if you create a free account and log in. It hasn't produced more spam for me, as far as I can tell. I start by searching for full legal name, then reduce the middle name to an initial, then delete the initial. I even try replacing the first name with the nickname. Common names may create too many items to cull through. In that case I may list the last known state of residence, from the directory listings mentioned above or from the detailed last contact list kept by Sharon Freitas. She could probably get you a copy of that if you are serious about helping search. Amazingly, you can sometimes confirm your finding because their spouse is listed.

For example, yesterday I found Bill Hoyt in Wisconsin because I knew that he was William Reed Hoyt, Jr. And there listed with him was an Ann A Hoyt = Ann Adel Hoyt, another classmate. It turns out it's the same address as the previous contact list. So they haven't responded to a previous Email but the postal address and phone number should still be good. I sent that along to the committee using the "Contact us" form.

7. I do a plain old Google search for the name, reducing it as above. This sometimes reveals listings on social networking sites where I can go and leave a message, inviting them to sign up on this site. I also ask them to at least let me know if they are the class of 62 grad, so we can stop looking, even if they don't want to register or come to the reunion. Someone could just do a search for each missing name on Facebook. I bet a lot of us are there.

I'm posting this, hoping that the list of ideas will be useful to someone else who is searching. I am trying to find a way for to post notes on this site to help us work together but I haven't figured out how to do that. I would post full name, date of birth and last known residence with date  You might post that he was your son's Little League coach in Hollister in 1997. We might put together enough pieces to find them.

Using the technique above, I have located current mailing addresses or phone numbers for a lot of folks with surnames between N and Z. However, the following have completely eluded me. I can't get even a start on these folks. If you know ANYTHING at all about them

Newman, Theodore Michael "Mike" last know address on Eddy in SF in 1993

Pendleton, Margaret Virginia (married Wendland) formerly in Forestville CA

Phillips, Barbara Jean -  I can find nothing since she graduated with us.

Pitt, Mary  - I can find nothing since she graduated with us.

Santos, Patricia du Frane - I can find nothing since she graduated with us

Short, Stephen Alan - I can find nothing since she graduated with us.

Stitler, Carolyn Louise (married Charles W Kelly in 1970) last address Lakeshor Dr, Oakland in 1995

Stout, Larry  There are too many people by this name to be sure about anything I find.

Taylor, Brian M  There are too many people by this name to be sure about anything I find.

Wilson, Lois Jean (married Gibson) last known address Tempe AZ

Woodruff, Mark Conley and Margaret Ann "Margie" Haight  Last known address in Lafayette.