Born in to a large American family, for better or worse Marybeth was never alone. The Yeller family were extremely close knit and it was rare you would find any of them alone. If you saw one Yeller, you knew another wasn't far behind.
Marybeth's parents instilled in her the importance of family, a lesson she would impart on to her own children. Apart from very few outliers, the Yeller's never moved away from home and why would they want to? Their family would support one another through anything, they may not have had a lot of money but they had each other and everything they needed.
Gender roles in the family were always flexible and surprisingly progressive compared to other families in the same area. Family was all that mattered.

As years went by and Marybeth grew older, she found herself playing the role of a Matriarch in the family, supporting her children and grandchildren to the end.
When the pandemic had started, it bothered their family little, at least at first. They didn't interact with most of the outside world anyway, what did they have to worry about? It soon became obvious that the virus was bigger than any of them could have imagined with their limited education.
When one of her more rebellious Grandsons expressed interest in joining the military, she was initially hesitant but soon realised some of the perks that came with being in the military may offer her and the family some benefits that may be best for their survival.
Unbeknownst to the younger members of the family, she would sell the farm to get the funds to move her and the rest of her family to Nyheim where her grandson was already deployed.

Being poor, their travel arrangements were not ideal. The final stretch of their trip would be completed by an illegal boat, one that was breaking every pandemic regulation in the book. The ship had made it close to the coast of Nyheim when chaos erupted. A fire-fight had broken out among crew-mates that led to a violent uprising, many passengers being caught in the chaos and crossfire. Those lucky enough to be positioned near the doors of the cargo hold managed to escape to the surface of the ship and on to lifeboats. Despite her protests, Marybeth was forced by well intentioned passengers on to one of these boats, leaving her family behind.

Now on land, Marybeth 'Momma' Yeller seeks to locate her family.