My post is TL/DR material.
My FIL grew up missing meals on the Albemarle Sound during the Depression. His mom died when he was a child. His dad was an itinerate carpenter, and worked on that bridge they built across the sound to Edenton. My FIL got out of there like many did when he came of age by joining the army in WWII.
His wife, my MIL, grew up poor on a little farm in northern Wake county. Outdoor plumbing. Her mom made all her clothes.
They got married in the early 50’s and were able to enjoy the postwar economic expansion. I have to say that as well as they did for themselves for their meager beginnings they were the two most contented people I ever met.
When my wife’s grandmother (who had made my MIL’s clothes growing up) got Alzheimers they moved grand mom in with them, and even though my wife was busy with a happy youth as a cheerleader in high school she shared her little steel double bed with her deaf grandmother for her high school years and was happy to do it.