Gathering information for our ancestors is a little like a portrait by a great Impressionist. Many paintings by the masters are simply little dots of color but all together a wonderful scene or portrait comes to life. Our facts for our ancestors are like the little dots of color. When a fact is missing for an ancestor, it may be like an empty spot on the canvas. As we add facts, we are adding to the overall portrait.
We can better visualize a "whole person" when we check multiple sources for them. Each type of record gives an additional highlight to the life of an ancestor. It is important to research our relatives in a wide variety of records. It may be that one record in particular will give the depth to the portrait which allows us to thoroughly appreciate our ancestor and the challenges he faced in life.
