Who is Neighbor women of Fingerbone from Housekeeping and what is their importance?

The neighbor women of Fingerbone appear when there is a disaster or death. Ruth doesn't name them, but they show up in groups to bring casseroles, coffee cakes, knitted hats, gloves, and scarves. They roll their eyes at the newspapers and cans stacked to the ceiling, the fourteen cats, and their dismembered prey. They persist in discussing Ruth's situation, and they try to bring her back to an orderly life. One of them is the wife of the probate judge, who will later schedule the hearing to determine whether or not Ruth can continue in Sylvie's custody.