Depends on how you define close. Ray moved to a town between Atlanta and Gadsen. But Ray stayed much in the same area till he died. People from Gadsen visited often. He started out in Gadsen but moved but not too far. The fact that Peter Gregerson was an elder of long standing in Gadsen and the one that reached out to help him and Cynthia had a great effect on that area as well. I have talked with and spent time with Peter and his wife, hearing his experience directly from the two of them. How amazed I was to find two people who came to similar realizations, really far away from each other.
http://brci.org/resources/articles/God's%20Only%20Organization.pdf
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/184595/1/New-Peter-Gregerson-Story#.U252ELlOVLM
I am surprised how many jws "saw the light" by reading the bible without jumping from one verse to another, but reading in context. I was amazed at what was clearly said in the bible without needing an outside explainer.