Natal
My great-aunt lived and died in South Africa. While my father rarely spoke of her, he did mention that she gave him a wallet when he met her. I believe his (step) grandson has that now–or at least he has one of my father’s first wallets–but I cannot confirm which one it is. Per my great-grandfather’s obituary, she was alive and in South Africa in 1964. My father also said she died in a car accident during the Zulu uprising. To date, I have been unable to find anything on her death. If it was the student uprising in South Africa, then she died in 1976–shortly before I turned 3.
And, for my story, this right here–EXACTLY. Where do you think all of these stories came from? They are all linked to a handful of families.
The most obvious tie between that author and my family? New Jersey.