My mother born 1915 had her father die 1918 Spanish Flu, grandma took in laundry and later a job in a convenience store. Family was dirt poor and no indoor plumbing. Mom left school in the 7th grade at age 13 and worked her whole life. Mom worked for at least 15 years as a maid in a hospital cleaning floors and public toilets.
I hate that the NPR assumption is that White people never struggled and we all should feel guilty and need to, make things right, because we had it so easy. BTW dad was the educated person in the family he graduated from grammar school.
Sounds like both of our families benefitted from our white privilege.