I guess I didn't have it so rough. I only walked 3/4 of a mile to and from the bus every day, but I got to loiter and pick wild "possum" grapes on the way home. Mom would make jelly out of them. Went to a one room school house for a couple of years; 8 grades in one school. Pumped our water; pot bellied stove, and "Boys" and "Girls" two holers about 20 yards form the door.
Wore overalls because Jeans were to expensive; wore our shoes completely out and would cut the backs off my Big Chief tablet to put in the bottom of my shoes to keep my feet off the ground. Never had a hot lunch until we moved to Oklahoma in 7th grade; believe me, you never forget the smell of an old lunchroom where brown bag lunches have been stored 5 days a week for 100 years.
Better off than some though; one kid I remember came to school barefoot wearing only overalls...no shirt. TB was endemic; Health Department came around every year, gave Whooping cough, Tetanus, Diphtheria an several other shots, including tests for TB. Never for get the long line in the library getting shots. Kids bawling, teachers wiping tears; I dreaded it for weeks in advance.
Ah, those were the days.