All of these women were the great great grandmothers of the author. Born in the first half of the 1800s, over a 34 years range and died over a 74 year range, they had many different life experiences. Some experienced the Civil War, others were born early enough to have family who fought in the Revolutionary War while another lived to see her grandsons fight in World War I. Some families had ancestors who fought on each side of the Revolution or came from abroad. Others had family who fought in the Civil War; one with sons on each side. They immigrated or migrated or stayed put on the farm. One came on one of the "coffin ships" from Ireland during the Great Hunger" in 1848. One was corresponding about slavery with her cousins. Another family came to Chicago from Canada after the Great Fire to help rebuild. One's husband was involved in the re-building of the Chicago Board of Trade building after the Fire. The families ran small businesses, took in apprentices in the tannery, or farmed the land. Three died young leaving children, one leaving orphaned children. The others raised their children while they ran the farm. One was working on the farm for many years, but participating in book clubs and loved to read and write poems. One even attended Mt Holyoke College in 1844-1845, possibly with the support of her older brother who was a businessman. These women were living the variations on the American story.