For those who've read Kritzer Time, you'll remember the book begins (as each Kritzer book does) with a prologue that then flashes back to the story proper. In Kritzer Time Benjamin has borrowed his friend's sisters Tempest Le Mans to drive to Atascadero to have a date with a cute as a button young gal. They dine, they see Annie Get Your Gun at a local theater, and then, driving home, Benjamin falls asleep and has a horrible freeway accident in which the car is totaled and he's fine. Of course, the friend is dear reader Jane and yes I borrowed her sister's car. The real gal in Atascadero was named Mary Beth Hoff, who I call Mary Beth Hall in the book.
I have been trying to find her for the last forty-five years to no avail. I wrote her dad in Atascadero two decades ago (found his name in the phone book) and he never wrote back. Since the advent of the Internet I've searched and found nothing until about four years ago. Having become quite a good detective thanks to the Adriana Hofstetter books, by doing reverse searches and all kinds of other things, I found that she'd married someone named Alvord and I found HIM on Facebook and PMd him to see if I'd found the right person. He never responded either. About two weeks ago, I did Google work again, found her husband again, but this time found her under her married name - on Facebook. I wrote her a PM asking if I had the right gal and never heard a peep, with my friend request unanswered. Today, she accepted the friend request and answered the PM. So, fifty-one years later I have found Mary Beth Hoff.