Carolyn Campbell was born on December 9, 1881, to Harriet Dutton Campbell and Thomas Campbell. She graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1899 and began working as a teacher after graduation. In 1920 she married William Pendray and they settled in Maquoketa, Iowa.

Pendray’s involvement in politics began in 1912 when she was elected Superintendent to the Henry County schools, including those in Mt. Pleasant. She served in this role until 1920. In 1928, Pendray became the first women elected to the Iowa House of Representatives and served for four years. She ran for Iowa Senate in 1932 and with her victory became the first woman anywhere in the country to serve as a state senator, which she did until 1936. While in the Iowa legislature she served on committees related to public libraries and schools.

After her time in the government, Pendray moved back to Mt. Pleasant and continued to partake in politics and her church. She was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 1978.

Barbara McRoberts was born June 9, 1939 in Des Moines, Iowa, to Frances Campbell Crawford (sister of Carolyn Campbell Pendray) and Ivan J. Ratcliffe. Frances Campbell Crawford worked for Pendray as her clerk during legislative sessions. As a child, McRoberts was close to her great-aunt Pendray and, as an adult, she has presented and written about Pendray's life and legacy. McRoberts lives in Burlington, Iowa, where she is active in civic and arts organizations, including the P.E.O. Sisterhood and the Burlington Civic Music Association.