HOUGHTON — Kenneth Ryan Clark has been missing since January 13, and while no progress has been made in the case of his disappearance, his family is continuing with the search. They have also made some personal discoveries along the way.

“I must admit, there’s been a couple of things that have come out in terms of my personal learning,” Marilyn Clark, Ryan’s mother said. “One is how much love there is around.”

Marilyn said that people are still coming up with leads, each of which is followed up on.

“For example, somebody thought they saw him in Copper Harbor,” she said. “It turned out not to be him. It looked like him, but we really appreciate that people’s eyes are out looking, and we really appreciate that.

“And also, what helps in a situation like this is a hug, or knowing that people are praying,” She said. What doesn’t help, she added, is when people tell her their theories in reference to Ryan’s disappearance.

“I think everybody makes up their own theories: He wanted to disappear, or whatever the issue is, we just feel that’s very unlike him. We know this young man. He’s responsible. This is not like him. Even as a little kid, he never ran away from home,” Marilyn said. “He’s always told us what was happening, so this is very unlike him and so this why we can’t figure this out.”

The family does not know what happened and they are not speculating, Marilyn said.

“We’re hoping that the community can help us if there is any lead at all,” she said. “Any lead the people bring to us, we follow up with.”

The investigation is still open, and the Houghton County Sheriff’s Department still has personnel on the case. Leads still trickle in, and now the family is offering a reward for information leading to the whereabouts or safe return of Ryan, and the family still has hope.

“The thing about not knowing,” Marilyn said, “is there is always hope.”