Families were so much bigger back then. My great grandma was one of 6. Which isn't that amazing now, but not many people have that many kids anymore.
My mum is from a big family, youngest of 9, the oldest was 16 years older.
It's funny that back then large families 5 to 12 kids were normal. Where now 2 to 3 is normal now. My grandmother was born in Vidalia GA. I kid her about the Onion field were getting bigger and her parants need more help in the Onion fields. That why they had so many kids. She would laugh and say there truth in that.