Bess (Bessie)

My dear sweet Bess got her name from her great-great-grandma, Bess Fern Goldrick. I remember spending time at Grandma Bessie's house when I was a little girl. She was very strong-willed and loved all her children, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren. Grandma Bessie would made afghans for all of us kids.

Long before I knew I was pregnant, I just loved the name Bess, for obvious reasons. Glen and I had liked others too but for some reason I just loved Bess. I thought it would be so cute to call her Bessie for a nickname, but for some reason it just doesn't fit Bess to me. Carter has been calling her Bessie on his own lately. It kind of drives me crazy, but then I realize that it's his own name for her. No one else calls her that.

The first few days of her life, Bess was nameless. Glen and I couldn't decide on what to name her. Glen was trying to paint Bess's room before we took her home from the hospital and couldn't settle on a color. He told me that he'd pick the color and I'd pick the name. I thought that was a great idea, but I still wanted him to be a part of what we were going to name her. Of course we had a few favorites but for some reason Bess was far and away my favorite. She could be proud of her namesake.

My great grandma Bess wasn't LDS. She was Irish Catholic and raised all her kids Catholic. My mom is a convert to the church and we were the only members of the LDS church in Bess's extended family. In her last few days in the hospital before she passed away, she asked to see my mom. Bess told my mom that her missionary friends had come to visit her. We now strongly believe that those missionary friends she talked about were faithful Elders from the other side of the veil.


While I was pregnant with my Bess, I finished the temple work for my great-grandma Bess. I have no doubt that she has accepted the gospel and is now teaching it to our other family members that have passed on.

Bess should be very proud of her name and heritage.