Question Author
Maidup, I just tried your suggestion and googled her full name, but I got no results. Perhaps that tells us that she is still alive.
The Salvation Army sounds a very good idea, and I will follow that up tomorrow.
Grasscarp, I couldn't agree more. Nothing on earth would stop me from going to see my mother, but sadly my husband hasn't got the same close relationship with his mum as I have with mine. There have been a few ups and downs between them over the years, and there have been many times when he has said he is not going to see her any more. However, they had started to build bridges during the last year, and he is now feeling that, at her age, it is not worth arguing and falling-out any more. He feels that his sister, who is on the spot and almost certainly knows mum-in-law's present circumstances, should have let him know if she has been taken ill, gone into a home, or died. I think a lot of his stubbornness about going down there is due to his anger with his sister, and they way she is keeping information from him and ignoring his letters.
BJ