3 Ways to Track Down Loved Ones From Your Past

We all have that one person we wish we hadn’t fallen out of touch with. Maybe they moved away from the town you live in, or you had a falling out. No matter the circumstances, it’s never too late to find — and reach out to — those special people you still fondly think back on and wonder, “Whatever happened to so and so?”

Keep reading for three ways to help you find old friends, family members, or even past loves.

Let the Web Do the Work

With more than 68 percent of adults signed up for social media profiles, finding a long-lost friend has never been easier. Simply log on to Pipl and type in a name to search databases from all social media sites, plus “nontypical” sites with data from documents, such as job search sites and public records.

Still can’t find them? Try searching in Google Groups, which hosts an archive of internet posts dating back to 1981.

Connect With Classmates

Create a profile on Classmates.com to browse through old yearbooks, tag fellow class members, plan a reunion, and chat through both public and private messages.

Looking for family members? Start a free two-week trial on Ancestry.com to locate out-of-touch loved ones, identify new relatives, and even create your own family tree.

Visit Your Local Library

In most states, an updated listing of the name, address, age, and occupation of every resident of the town is required annually by state law— and it’s freely available at the local library.

Even better, many new online databases store this information too. Check out the public records directory at BRBPub.com to search the public records of any state across America!

This story originally appeared in our print magazine.