Who is Gretchen Fathauer from One Thousand White Women and what is their importance?

Gretchen Fathauer was a very large woman with an equally large voice and a heavy Swiss accent. A farmer's daughter from Illinois, Gretchen worked as a domestic for Cyrus McCormick's family in Chicago. She wasn't a handsome woman, and she joined the government's Brides for Indians program after a mail order match failed. Gretchen is described as a hard-working, strong, and honorable woman, who was well-loved by the other brides. Her loutish Indian husband was known as No Brains. Gretchen's original Cheyenne was "Big Voice". It was changed to "Big Foot" after she kicked her husband.