Trudy Henry and Jan Scoggins

Trudy Henry tells her daughter Jan Scoggins about unexpected visitors her family received one evening when she was a growing up. A man and a woman drove up to their home looking for help from her mother, and while they seemed harmless at the time, after seeing a newspaper article days later, her family realize the pair were the notorious criminals Bonnie and Clyde.

Originally aired May 25, 2007, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Jim McFarland

Jim McFarland recalls traveling with his grandmother from his home in New York City to the segregated South during the summers when he was a young boy. While he found some aspects of the South interesting, it wasn’t until he was 11 years old until he understood racism.

Originally aired May 15, 2007, on NPR’s News & Notes.

Evelyn Palmour and Doreene McCoy

Evelyn Palmour (left), and her sister, Doreene McCoy, remember when the Great Depression hit their Nebraska community and their family fled the state for the comfort of their grandfather’s farm in Oklahoma.

Originally aired April 6, 2007, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Roberta Keys Torn and Susan Young

Roberta Keys Torn talks with her daughter about the night she and her three sisters were born. Her parents were expecting one child, not the four who together weighed 16 pounds. The quadruplets became a local sensation, putting on displays at the state fair and singing and playing instruments for money.

Originally aired March 30, 2007, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Catherine Dwyer and Meggan Dwyer

Catherine Dwyer (left) talks with her daughter Meggan about her father and Meggan’s grandfather who was generous, especially with money, to anyone in need. When he died, Catherine recalls that, “People started mailing back the money that they owed him…Letters started coming in from everywhere,” teaching her “how important it is to connect with people.”

Originally aired March 2, 2007, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Johnnie Tyson and Sandra Fleming

Johnnie Tyson (left), who weighed 250 lbs when she was 9 years old, talks with her niece Sandra Fleming about the difficulties of growing up obese. “You have to be extremely heavy before you understand what a painful situation it is. I really believe it helps me to establish an empathy with most any problem that people have.”

Originally aired January 19, 2007, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Stephanie Butler and Joyce Butler

Joyce Butler and her daughter Stephanie remember Joyce’s mother and Stephanie’s grandmother, Dot, who worked in a shipyard during World War II. Dot was raising four children on her own and shipyard work was a high paying, so she quit her job in a department store and started working nights enabling her to spend her days with her family.

Originally aired December 15, 2006, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Mary Warm and David Warm

Mary Warm, who has Down syndrome, talks with her father, David, about how he felt when she was born. David explains that he was excited to have another little girl, but worried about how to raise her. “We just needed to raise you with love and teach you like we did your big sister, and everything would turn out all right.”

Originally aired December 8, 2006, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Jerome Smith and Carol Bebelle

Jerome Smith tells Carol Bebelle about an experience he had as a young man on a streetcar in pre-Civil Rights era New Orleans that made him the person he remains today.

Originally aired December 1, 2006, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Rebecca Katechis and Carolyn Schlam

Sisters Rebecca Katechis (left) and Carolyn Schlam reminisce about growing up in the Bronx surrounded by family. As children they often felt smothered by the crush of relatives, but now they look back on those days with wonder and joy.

Originally aired November 24, 2006, on NPR’s Morning Edition.