To me, the evidence points to the spark plugs never having been changed, since you have no oil consumption and your gas mileage is reasonable.
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Problems with spark plugs often result from installing something other than the exact brand. model and gap plugs the vehicle had when new.
Changes in MPG are sometimes a consequence of new tires, with different characteristics from the previous ones.
I keep track of gas mileage as an indicator of the health of the engine. I know that gasoline mileage will vary with the weather and driving conditions. However, if I experience a drastic drop in mpg, I investigate the cause.
In the OP’ s situation, I thought that either excessive oil consumption or an overly rich mixture might have caused the plug to fail as 45,000 is not a lot of miles for spark plugs today.
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Glad you got the problem resolved there OP. Car problems away from home are always a big concern, and where to get them fixed is always a puzzle. I had a front wheel bearing failure on my old VW Rabbit away from home years ago, but the person I was visiting had a Volvo and so they knew of a good European auto repair place near by. That shop – clean as a whistle – fixed the wheel bearing problem, no problem, and a reasonable fee to boot. Another time, again years ago, my dad’s car had a leaky water pump, noticed in a very small town in Colorado. No auto repair place but the guy at the gas station said he knew two brothers who fixed cars. Great guys!! He phoned them up, they came to the gas station with their tools and replaced the water pump outside on the gravel in about 25 degree weather, at night. Meanwhile I went across the street where the town was having a barn dance. One thing I learned, when you visit a small town and go to their barn dance, don’t ask any of the cute girls to dance … b/c they probably have boyfriends watching … lol …