Head lights out!

Head lights went out once but was able to get them back on by messing with the light switch but then a few days later they went out all together, I had to drive home with the high beams on by pulling back on the turn signal. I checked the fuses, that wasn't it. So I replaced the switch, that wasn't it. Then I went ahead and replaced the bulbs just for the heck of it. You guessed it, that didn't help either. Next I was going to replace the turn signal , I was just wondering if I'm going in the right direction or em I missing something. My 96 Mercury Sable has over 200,000 miles on it if that makes a differance. Thanks for any advice you can give me. Marbe

The stalk switch is a combination of many switches.
It is not uncommon for the high-beam part to fail and cause exactly what you have described.