Needle in a haystack or a blessing in disguise?

Family histories are an interesting study in and of themselves. They may have been started as a small project of hobby and grown to a massive size. Some get pitched when the compiler passes on. Other family histories get donated to a historical or genealogical society. Often times these compilations lack rhyme or reason as to how they were compiled. Other times the creator follows a tried and true method.
Yet, it seems there is always something lacking. We can spend countless hours combing through these histories only to be left in confusion. Numerous blanks can be found for the obvious reasons of continuing research. The more problematic areas, though, may be no recognition for the creator. When was the work compiled? What resources did the compiler have available for use? What connection does the crafter have to the names searched? Without a name or other particulars of creation, we have little insight into who they are, why the work was created, and how to assess the existing status of the ongoing research at hand.

Sometimes these histories are filled with images of copies, often difficult to read, and the lack of source citation is large. If you are lucky, original photographs may have been included, showing grave markers that no longer can be found. Yet, these attachments may have become loose or missing.

Troublesome as these issues may be, something is better than nothing. Where we are lacking, we try to make up for somewhere else. As genealogists, we search for clues. We will use what little we have to resurrect the missing fragments from anywhere else that may hold that potential clue to solve these mysteries.