There are grander stories than this but not to this particular individaul. My maternal grandfather's family was from Ireland. Of the 9 siblings (grandpa was either 7 or 8 and only 1 sister in that bunch of Irish Catholics) the brother that lived the longest passed away quite a while ago. My family in Utah, attended the viewing and Rosary service. About a year later I had the impression that we needed to do his temple work. I pondered it and over the years made some effort to get things going by trading voice lessons for a dear friend re-entering all my family history on the computer in the PAF program.
My stepmother had entered it and submitted it and I actually pulled it up on the computer in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building mini Family History Library. I went again 
another time and there was nothing to be found. We had to do it all over again.... anyway... I made efforts but never followed through to completion because there just seemed to be too many steps for me to grasp when I was going to school full time and teaching voice lessons. I even asked the Family History Specialist in my old ward if she would just look at what I had and tell me where to start... somehow she got the impression I wanted her to do it for me and told me if I came with some effort made she would help... I don't know what more effort I could have made...I was just asking for help to sort out "where to go next" with what I had...which was a lot... a WHOLE lot! Anyway... no excuse is good enough for making this poor uncle wait so very long... here is how it finally happened.
Several months ago my youngest sister phoned me and told me that everymorning that week she had been waking up to the smell of smoke. We talked about it and thought perhaps it was one of grandpa's relatives, probably this particular brother. Mark and I tried a few things and actually got the card printed and somehow misplaced it. Bless Mark's heart, a few weeks ago, on one of his days off, he went to the temple while I was working, got the new card and did everything except the sealing to parents, which we need to get done. I'm now trying to find all of the spouses of those siblings so we can just take care of all that. Anyway, I shared at our monthly Family Home Evening, that Mark had gotten that work done. My youngest sister, Christine, suddenly realized she hadn't smelled smoke in her home since the time Mark got that work done...they are so close! From Ireland to Eureka Utah , through the Temple and on to Exaltation! What a blessing!
another time and there was nothing to be found. We had to do it all over again.... anyway... I made efforts but never followed through to completion because there just seemed to be too many steps for me to grasp when I was going to school full time and teaching voice lessons. I even asked the Family History Specialist in my old ward if she would just look at what I had and tell me where to start... somehow she got the impression I wanted her to do it for me and told me if I came with some effort made she would help... I don't know what more effort I could have made...I was just asking for help to sort out "where to go next" with what I had...which was a lot... a WHOLE lot! Anyway... no excuse is good enough for making this poor uncle wait so very long... here is how it finally happened.
Several months ago my youngest sister phoned me and told me that everymorning that week she had been waking up to the smell of smoke. We talked about it and thought perhaps it was one of grandpa's relatives, probably this particular brother. Mark and I tried a few things and actually got the card printed and somehow misplaced it. Bless Mark's heart, a few weeks ago, on one of his days off, he went to the temple while I was working, got the new card and did everything except the sealing to parents, which we need to get done. I'm now trying to find all of the spouses of those siblings so we can just take care of all that. Anyway, I shared at our monthly Family Home Evening, that Mark had gotten that work done. My youngest sister, Christine, suddenly realized she hadn't smelled smoke in her home since the time Mark got that work done...they are so close! From Ireland to Eureka Utah , through the Temple and on to Exaltation! What a blessing!
This is so you can make the comparison...I showed this picture to Brother Axelguard (the red head in the suit) and his wife, (she is a counselor in our ward YW) and they were both surprised at how much Chris looks like Mark at that age! ... My husband is gonna roll his eyes at me when he finds out what I've done! I love you Mark Raymond! And, no... he didn't sing with us dressed like this...in case any of you were wondering!
