30 by 30, #10: Find a family name to take to the temple.

In case you aren't familiar with the 30 by 30 Project, here is the original post, with the big fat list.

I cannot believe I am sitting here writing these words.  I have completed something I never thought would be possible.  I have found a family name and taken it to the temple.

The struggle was real with this one.  My family tree goes back far with temple work completed as far as the eye can see.  On my mother's side all of my ancestors were pioneers.  That means there have been people working on this for over a century.  Dedicated people, who had dozens of dedicated children, working on their family lines, even spreading to aunts and uncles and cousins.  Until I become a professional genealogist, there is no hope for this line of research.  On my father's side there is also a lot of pioneer ancestry.  One of the lines that isn't includes my great-grandfather who was a genealogist for the church.  So...that's right out.  But I have one family line that includes a convert great-grandmother, one family line wherein it might be possible to find someone whose work hasn't been completed yet.

Our ward had a family history open house, wherein all the consultants were available to help with laptops at the ready.  I learned about the descendancy view, wherein you can find cousins, children of great-aunts and uncles, who are ready for work to be done.  I clicked through this one line, the last great hope for the completion of this task, and lo and behold, there were names to be done!  I could not believe it!  I reserved them as quick as I could.

I took them to the temple back in May while my parents were visiting.  It was a sweet experience to have a family name with me, and to share this with my mom and dad.  I'm so grateful the timing worked out to do this with them.  It made me feel the strength of family bonds even more strongly.

I must say, I've gone back on Family Search since then and looked some more to find nothing available.  I think it was sheer luck of timing that I even found those few names I did before someone else clicked on them.  But my goal was just to find one name, and I completed my goal.  28 down, 2 to go.