Families in Ethel lived with very limited means. Most cabins had one bed for the parents and two youngest children, while the rest of the family often slept on a rug on the floor. Mattresses and pillows were stuffed with grass and Spanish moss. Mothers typically had a good dress for church and funerals and a second dress for other days, while fathers had a Sunday best shirt and pants and one other outfit for all other times. Children relied on hand-me-downs and homemade items. There was almost no access to doctors or dentists, so a toothache might be treated by pulling the tooth. People relied heavily on herbal medicines, but disease was common, and mortality was high, especially for newborns and children.