I think it's wonderful that you are trying your very best to help all those cats and kittens. Of course you did the right thing in taking in the kittens who later died, at least they left this world in some comfort and not lying in dirt and misery.

Are there no cat rescue organizations near you? There are several other members of PT who live in Pennsylvania and you may want to post a thread in Cats General (which has much higher traffic) to see if anyone knows of one you could work with. Working alone on these problems can be very dis-heartening and you need support to make you feel that you really are making a difference.