Hey Paul:

Think of the plight of the women back then (the madonna of the trail) the one who held the family togather.
She must have been a verry strong person, fetching water from the river, gathering wood, and whatever wild food she could find, always with child, and a house full of little ones. she even had to deal with indians when her man was gone.

I have a story,,, I recentley went to a auction, and was sitting waiting for it to start, a little old man came and in and sit down beside me. He wanted to talk, i wanted for him to be confortable so i listened. He told me when his grandmother came to Missouri in a covered wagon, she was having a baby as the wagon train pulled out of kentuckey, they had to move on, couldnt stop. She gave birth to twins, one died in a few days, and they wrapped it in a blanket, and put it in the wagon. Afew days later the otherone died too, they wrapped it in a blanket too and put them togather in the wagon, it was cold and the little bodies froze. when they got to Missouri where they were gonna stay they burried them. (the story made me cry)

Now when I go to the auctions, I look for the little old man, but I have never seen him again, if i find him I will sit and listen to him as long as he wants to talk.