A text message sent to the wrong number led to an unexpected friendship between 24-year-old Lauren Stevens of San Francisco and 72-year-old photographer Wernher “Vern” Krutein. After receiving a work phone number last November, Stevens began getting messages intended for the number’s previous owner, including one asking “Verndawg” about copyrighting a photograph. Curious about the message, Stevens and a friend identified Krutein, a photographer and archivist known for documenting events including the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, and she contacted him through LinkedIn.
He responded to her message and sent her signed posters of San Francisco photographs. The two spoke by phone for the first time in January and have continued talking regularly about photography, memories, daily life, and personal experiences. Stevens says their conversations became frequent, and the pair discovered shared interests in creativity, storytelling, and meeting new people.
Their friendship eventually extended beyond phone calls, and they now speak several times a day and meet in person once or twice a week. One memorable outing for Stevens was watching the sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge with Krutein, who had photographed the landmark many times during his career. Stevens says the friendship has become an important part of her life, and she now considers Krutein family.
Source: GOOD MORNING AMERICA
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