Good, bad and in between they were all people. Hardship, sacrifice, abuse, you will find it all. Good researchers meticulously document and crosscheck every bit of information. Men are easier to track than women. Wives often only brought their first name or took on their husbands last name.
Obituaries are wonderful places to find all the relationships listed.
Church records, governmental records, newspapers, old bibles, letters and cemeteries all will prove their worth. Recognize that few will have the exact interest that you have. Even another researcher is probably not as interested in the same people as you are. Usually it is only one or two in each generation that will pick up the banner and continue the work. When I started I thought 10,000 people was an impossible goal.