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Internet reunites old friends By JESSICA SMITH When Ruth Klosterman saw her childhood friend, Charlene DeLuca, she felt almost like the past 18 years had never happened. Klosterman DeLuca "The friendship was there even though we weren't in touch," says Klosterman, who was reunited with DeLuca Thanksgiving Day at the Medford airport. "That's the one wonderful thing about having a real friend," DeLuca adds. Klosterman, 46, and DeLuca, 45, grew up together in Southern California. But marriage, children and relocations interrupted their friendship. In August, Klosterman turned to the Internet to renew her bond with DeLuca. "We had spent hours on America On Line and I saw a little people search button and a light went on. I thought, I wonder ... and it paid off. I found her," says Klosterman, who lives in Medford. Using DeLuca's maiden name, Hibbert, Klosterman tracked down her best friend's mother -- who still lived in the same house Klosterman visited as a child. Then in late August, Klosterman connected with DeLuca, who lives in Los Angeles. The first time the old friends spoke was "incredible," DeLuca says. "This is a time where I really need her so it was a blessing," she says, adding that she and her husband are divorcing. Throughout the summer and fall, the pair talked on the phone and e-mailed one another until DeLuca decided she would spend her Thanksgiving holiday with Klosterman's family. The duo celebrated Thanksgiving and planned to spend the next few days catching up. DeLuca returns to Los Angeles on Monday. "I've had a lot of friends, but not one like Charlene," Klosterman says. "We will never lose touch again." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA