My Daddy's father was a share cropper in the Rio Grande valley in south Texas. They were poor, but had plenty to eat at a time when people went hungry. My Daddy worked in the fields, hoeing weeds with his father at ten years old for 50 cents a day. All day.
My Mom fared better. Her father was a postman, delivering mail. Her mother worked as a secretary in the packing sheds. Also in the Rio Grande valley, huge producer of fruits and vegetables. They also had plenty to eat and actually had good paying jobs for the times.