Good Enough?

When is good enough good enough?

I know approximately where my Mom lived from birth until her senior year of high school. My grandfather rented a farm probably 5 or so miles from where I grew up. I should have asked Mom to show me where the house was, but for some reason I never did.

It was rural Illinois in the 1940s/1950s. Rental agreements were not recorded. My grandparents didn’t have any old ones in the papers when they passed. There were no lawsuits regarding the lease (I’ve looked). I know the name of the landowners, so I have a general idea of where the property was at. The house and the house of the owner are likely not standing.

It’s possible there is some reference in the weekly newspaper that indicates precisely where they lived. Possible, but not likely. Having read through numerous newspapers in this time and place, it’s probably going to say “west of town,” “route 4,” or on the “Nickel place” (which I already know). The newspapers are not digitized, so I’ll have to read through them manually. Based on when they lived there, that’s nearly 18 years of newspapers. There’s not a street address to get because rural Illinois in this time period did not have street addresses.

Here’s the thing.

Does it really matter that I don’t know precisely where the house was at? Does it really impact what I know about my Mom or her history? It does not.

It’s not possible to know every detail and sometimes it does not matter. Sometimes approximate is fine.