I think some of the confusion about the relationship between the 4-generation group sheets and the Ancestral File stems from the fact that there were many 4-generation collections done several times by the Church over the years. My grandparents turned in family sheets in the 1920's and 1930's which were put in a special collection. There were a series of 3rd and 4th generation calls for family group sheets through the 1960's and early 1970's. The Brigham Young University library, for example, has multiple sets of microfilm of these collections for those years. None of these family group sheet collections were put into the AF. Elaine is right about the last call for 4-generation sheets around 1980. Those sheets where we turned in sets of a pedigree chart and related family group sheets were the beginning of the AF. We were told to do the research on these four generations and make them as correct and complete as we could and to turn in more than 4 generations if we were able. When the AF was released we were told that it was our responsibility to make sure that the records were accurate. We can still do that today. The AF has been very helpful to my research over these years although not always accurate. The information was far better than nothing. My biggest problem with the AF is the procedure that all new information is matched and merged on similarity of names. This is a nuisance in English-speaking countries, but in Scandinavian research where there were basically 20 surnames, all of the research I have carefully researched, documented, and submitted has been turned into a hopeless tangle. Does anyone know who could convince the FHL that such automatic matching and merging does not always make sense? My family is complaining that they cannot find the thousands of names I did. They are there - just in a very jumbled manner. Charla Jensen COMPAQ CST Information Research Services LKG1-2/J12 Database Administrator (978) 506-6943 FAX (978) 506-6891 Charla.Jensen@digital.com DTN 226-6943 DTN_FAX 226-6891 > -----Original Message----- > From: Elaine [SMTP:elainec@stinger.net] > Sent: Friday, August 07, 1998 12:09 PM > To: HANDCART-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [HANDCART-L] Answer on IGI > > Hello, Michele! > > I saw your posting to the list and agree that the the Ancestral File > was supposed > to have begun with the 4-generation family group sheets we were all > encouraged to > submit in the late 1970's and early 1980's. My husband had only been > a member of > the church for a year or so and we were newly married when we sat down > and put > the information together to submit to our ward genealogy person. All > of the > information did indeed appear in the first version of Ancestral File. > Do you > happen to have any idea when the next updated version of the Ancestral > File will > be out and available to use in the FHCs? I am actually a consultant > in a FHC > here in Orem, Utah but have not been able to get any information on > this as yet. > Also, someone told me that the AF and IGI were available for purchase. > Have you > heard anything about this at all? Just thought I would check. ;) > > Thanks a bunch! > > Elaine Corson > elainec@stinger.net > http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/5637 > > > JCBrooks@aol.com wrote: > > > Hi > > > > I don't think anything from the Patron Family Group Sheets > > was ever entered into the Ancestral File, only stuff that was sent > in > > specifically for the AF. And now they only accept stuff on disk > for the > > AF. We hear people say all the time, "But we sent in the > 4-generation FGS > > years ago. Why aren't they in the AF?" The answer is because they > were > > never entered in the AF. > > > > I disagree...that's where the original database came from. I > remember the > > first time I downloaded some of it...there were 13-15 children per > family > > because the little old volunteer typists kept hitting enter when > they were > > working ...there were LOTS of errors on those. But I was given to > understand > > at the FHL that's where the original stuff came from. > > > > Of course it was a brilliant idea...in the "olden days" you had to > go search > > through those big binders and pull your famly group sheets and have > them > > photocopied....the wear and tear was impossible, it was horribly > time- > > consuming, and some people just took the originals home!!! The AF > ws a great > > idea. > > > > I will look forward to the new AF.....I submitted my stuff last year > > (again)...so hopefully it will be there. > > > > Michele Brooks > > >> > > ______________________________