Bill Sayenga and Ellen Riek

Bill Sayenga’s father died when he was just four years old, leaving behind his mother, Marie, and his older sister Louise.

In order to support her family, Marie (pictured in 1964 in the player above) found a job with the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, recorder of deeds office as a secretary, but her pay — about a dollar an hour and just over $2,000 a year — was miserable. Although it allowed her to provide a home for her family, the money was only enough for them to just get by.

For 11 years Marie worked at the recorder of deeds’ office, and according to Louise, she hated it. But for all that the job lacked, it did provide Marie with insights into the inner workings of her local government. She recognized the need for change and in 1949, Marie ran for tax collector in the borough of Bethel.

Being both a woman and a Democrat made her a long shot. For over 50 years, men had been elected tax collector, and for the previous 24, Merle Long held the office. Marie lost that first race, but in 1953 she made a second run and unseated Long by just nine votes.

Marie would hold onto the job for the next 24 years, winning five subsequent elections. In 1973, in her final race, she received more votes than anyone else on the ballot running for any office in the borough.

Marie died in February 1993 at the age of 83.

Bill came to StoryCorps with Marie’s granddaughter, Ellen Riek (pictured above), to remember their family’s influential and powerful matriarch.

Originally aired May 20, 2016, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Photos of Marie Sayenga and the borough of Bethel tax office courtesy of Louise Randolph.

Mary Reed and Emma McMahon

In the summer of 2010, following her junior year of high school, Emma McMahon left her home in Tucson, Arizona, and traveled to Washington, D.C., to work as a page for her local Congresswoman, U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords.

Following her internship, she returned home to her family, but without one important memento from her summer—a photo of herself with the congresswoman.

Looking to rectify the situation, her mother, Mary Reed, learned months later that Rep. Giffords would be holding a constituent meet-and-greet in the parking lot of an area shopping center and made plans for her family to attend and finally get that coveted photo.

That was the day, January 8, 2011, that Jared Lee Loughner opened fire on a crowd outside of the Safeway critically wounding Gabby Giffords and shooting 18 others—six of whom were killed.

Mary, one of those who were shot that day, came to StoryCorps with Emma to remember the day she shielded her daughter from a gunman.

Originally aired January 8, 2016, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Above photo: Former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and Emma McMahon at a dinner for survivors of the 2011 shooting held at the Giffords home on January 8, 2014 (courtesy of Emma McMahon).

Top photo: Mary Reed and Emma McMahon, this month, in the parking lot of the Casas Adobes Safeway where the shooting took place.

Gilbert Zermeño and Pat Powers-Zermeño

Gilbert Zermeño came from a family without much money. They lived on the plains of West Texas and got by on the $100 a week that Gilbert’s father made working the cotton fields, so when Gilbert wanted to join the school band and play the saxophone, it wasn’t as easy for his mother as just going out and buying a sax.

At StoryCorps, Gilbert explains to his wife, Pat Powers- Zermeño, how, with the help of the Virgin of Guadalupe, he ended up playing not the saxophone, but the trombone.

Originally aired June 21, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Juana Rincón Espitia y Jessica Rubio

Juana Rincó Espitia habla con su hija, Jessica Rubio, sobre la deportació de su hermano Josué.

Lorena Larios-Magaña y Felicitas Larios

Felicitas Larios (D) habla con su hija Lorena Larios-Magaña (I) sobre cómo era crecer en el campo en Sonora, México y sobre su vida trabajando en los campos en los Estados Unidos.

Karen Washabau and Dave Washabau

Karen Washabau tells her husband, Dave, about Aunt Meff. Karen wrote letters to Aunt Meff when she was younger, and when Aunt Meff died, Karen found hundreds of her letters stashed in the back of a cupboard when cleaning out her house.

Originally aired August 18, 2006, on NPR’s Morning Edition.