Karen Bennett

Greetings from the Chattanooga, Ohio, area. Yes, Ohio has its very own Chattanooga, aka Chatt, a small village in west-central Ohio, near the Indiana border. I have been doing family history research for over 20 years and am a Board-Certified genealogist, certified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists®. My main genealogical interests are family research, cemetery research, and historical and genealogical research of the Chatt area, with a focus on two area Lutheran Churches, both named Zion Lutheran, one in Chatt and the other in Schumm, Ohio. Family names I am researching include Miller, Schumm, Brewster, Rueck, Reid, Headington, Huey, Bryan, Whiteman, Schinnerer, Scaer, Breuninger, Bennett, and a few others. I belong to several lineage societies, including the Daughters of the American Revolution, U.S. Daughters of 1812, First Families of Ohio, and First Families of Mercer and Van Wert Counties. I am also a retired dental hygienist and our church organist. I hope you enjoy Karen's Chatt.

Most commented posts

  1. Golden Wedding Anniversary — 37 comments
  2. Haunted Mercer County? — 34 comments
  3. The Old Willshire Hotel — 30 comments
  4. The Milligan Painting — 22 comments
  5. Metal Cemetery Monuments — 21 comments

Author's posts

Tombstone Tuesday–Oscar J. Scaer

This is the tombstone of Oscar J. Scaer, located in row 2 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Oscar J. SCAER Oct. 17, 1906 Nov. 9, 1992 Oscar Johann Scaer was the fifth child born to John and Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Schinnerer) Scaer, born 17 October 1906 in Willshire …

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The 1969 Mercer County Grange Drill Team

Last week I wrote about the local Farmers’ Institute meetings and that me reminded me of another rural organization that our family belonged to in the 1960s–the Chattanooga Grange. The Chattanooga Grange meetings were held at the old Parish Hall east of Chattanooga on Tama Road. In addition to the monthly meetings the Chattanooga Grange …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Lydia A. Schinnerer

This is the tombstone of Lydia A.  Schinnerer and her parents, located in row 4 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. Their marker is inscribed: SCHINNERER Henry F. 1867-1952  Louise M. 1870-1952  Lydia A. 1897-1985 I featured this tombstone a few weeks ago and wrote about Lydia’s parents Henry F. and Louise …

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The Farmers’ Institute

Years ago there was an event many people in our rural community looked forward to during the dreary winter months. It provided something for everyone, young and old, rural and village dweller. It was the annual Farmers’ Institute. I had never heard about this locally-held event until recently, but some of you might remember attending …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Fred H. Schinnerer

This is the tombstone of Fred H. Schinnerer, located in row 10 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Fred H. SCHINNERER Mar. 8, 1904 Oct. 2, 1984 Friedrich Heinrich Schinnerer was the fourth child born to Henry F. and Louise (Schumm) Schinnerer. According to Zion Schumm’s records he …

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