Documents found in a family history search tell so many stories. Census records can not only tell you where your ancestors lived, but what they did for a living, if they rented or owned their dwelling, how many children they had, as well as immigration and naturalization data. All this information can lead to other records containing additional valuable information.
Dates, years, and ages have not always been tracked accurately and with as much importance as today. When gathering documents I analyze the information contained in them and compare against other records, social and political history of the times, and your family stories. Together we can come to reasonable conclusions about the history of your family.
Genealogy is about more than how far back you can trace your family. It is discovering how your ancestors lived, why they made the decisions they made, and how all the information gathered about their lives play a big part of who you are today.