A Sister Shares A Cherished Memory That Carried Her Through Childhood

Sisters Amy McNally and Emily Fortner grew up in the 1980s in rural Ohio.

They were raised by a single mom in an old farmhouse, where they didn’t cross paths with many neighbors. Whenever someone did come knocking on their door, it would be a hunter asking if they could track their deer onto their property. 

In July of 2022, Amy came to StoryCorps to share one special childhood memory, and why it stood out to her.

Amy McNally and Emily Fortner (center and right) with their mother, Nan Barnebey (left), in the early 1990s in Ft Lauderdale, FL.

Top Photo: Emily Fortner and Amy McNally. Photos courtesy of the participants.

This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Originally aired Sept. 2, on NPR’s Morning Edition. 

Alex Fernandez and Noe Rueda

Nineteen-year-old Noe Rueda (right) grew up poor in Little Village, a neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. He is the oldest of four siblings raised by a single mom. As a boy, Noe watched his family struggle and decided to help.

At StoryCorps, Noe tells his high school economics teacher, Alex Fernandez (left), about launching his first business venture selling discarded cleaning products from a nearby factory.

Click here to watch “Making It,” an animation of Noe’s story.

Originally aired April 15, 2011, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Patricia Brennan and Connor Murphy

Patricia Brennan never thought about having a child until she woke up one morning thinking about nothing other than how much she wanted to have one. At StoryCorps she talks with her son, Connor Murphy, about her change of heart, and the one regret she has about it.

Originally aired on September 16, 2005, on NPR’s Morning Edition.