Google is your friend!

So how do I track down Bolivar Grads that I have not talked to in years? Well my first step is to use Google. That is how I tracked down Chris Eyl in North Carolina after not talking to him for around 15 years. That is how I tracked Ray Crane down in Georgia after not talking with him in around 15 years as well. How do I do it? Simple.

Here is how I tracked them down! Go to www.google.com .

I tracked down Chris by typing in Christopher Eyl in Google. This site comes up number one. No scroll down to the 9th photo and...BAM! There is a picture of my best friend from 8th and 9th grade. Next step was getting the phone number off the site and calling him up. Here is the link:
http://www.elon.edu/community/pericles/service.asp

Ok, now let me just show you a few searches that I did in the last 30 minutes on Google. When you do these searches, especially on a common name like a "Brian Mitchell", it is really tough to verify if it REALLY is the person you are looking for. The Holy Grail of these searches is coming up with Photo proof of the person like I got with Chris Eyl. But take a look at some of these.

Google search "Paul Penticuff"
You get this on the first match. PHOTO PROOF! I have not contacted him yet, but will.
http://www.bscr-law.com/attorney.cfm?AG=6584464D-6BB6-49C4-A416-1B227491248C

Google search "Cameron Hodges"
I think it is the 4th match down. PHOTO PROOF! I have not contacted him, but will.
http://www.stjohns.com/physicians/docinfo.aspx?doctor_id=489

Google search "Erica Noyes" (This is Erica Moore who married Tim Noyes)
Go to the first match. Then click on "About the Artist". PHOTO PROOF! I have sent her an email but have not heard back yet.
http://www.ericanoyes.com/aboutartist.html

Google search "Chris Redford"
I believe it is the second match that comes up. PHOTO PROOF! I talked to Chris about 6 months ago, but have not contacted him about this site yet.
http://www.ktbs.com/news/people.html?detail=39

Google search "John Kallenbach MO" We are adding MO in there to narrow our search.
First we see some Bolivar phone numbers that I could try. But, if you go down to about the 7th match, you get PHOTO PROOF! I have not contacted him yet, but will! Here is the link:
http://1108.att.statebarattorneys.com/

Sometimes you don't get Photo Proof, and you have to make a determination if that is really the person you are trying to contact. Here are two examples.

Google search "Eric Derossett"
The second match brings me this link. No Photo Proof that this is the person I want, but this is a pretty uncommon name. The cool thing is, it shows his email address, so I sent him an email with my info and this site. I have not heard from him yet (Heck, it might not be him).
http://www.weaubleau.k12.mo.us/Teacher%20Email%20HS.htm

Google search "Stephanie Lawson MO" This is Stephanie Farmer and we are using MO to narrow it down.
First thing I see is a phone number for Stephanie in Bolivar. But look at the second match and you get this next link. According to this, she is the administrative assistant at he Missouri Hall of Fame. Now I last talked to Stephanie about 2 years ago, and she was not working here, but...look at who is the President of the organization. Jerald Andrews. Does this ring a bell Bolivar Grads? He is a long time Bolivar resident and he was the President of the Bolivar Board of Education when I graduated in 1988. For some reason, I have a hunch that this Stephanie Lawson is the Stephanie I want to talk to. It also has an email address for her, and I much rather email her to find out than call her. At least if I make a fool of myself, it is not on the phone. So I emailed her this morning and have not heard back yet. I am getting a bit nervous that she is not the one. Time will tell. Here is the link:
http://www.mosportshalloffame.com/emailstaff.asp

To me, girls are also harder to track down than guys. Because most girls have married and have a new name, and I probably don't have that new name to look up.

Well that is a long explanation of how to use Google to track down classmates. I am going to need everybody's help if we are going to register 100 Bolivar Grads on our messageboard so we can network and catch up. So if you keep in touch with a Bolivar Grad from 1985-1991, then email them my contact info and this site. If you don't have their email address, give them a call and let them know about this site.

Keep checking back often to read some of the stuff I put up.

Later,
JR Mariottini
JR@bolivargrads.com