If not for them a lot of family history would be unknown. Since my dad's families (both father and mother) moved around there isn't a lot of information on the family. Also my paternal grandfather never talked about his family, he was more interested in my grandmothers. Tons of information about her family but again very few records. My mothers family on the other hand came to Canada about 1840 and stayed in the same area. A family search for them is a snap. Plus they kept family stuff, as well as an oral tradition of where they came from.
Janet