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–Theodore C. & Mollie (Schinnerer) Hofmann

This is the tombstone of Theodore and Mollie (Schinnerer) Hofmann, located in row 4 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: HOFMANN Theo. C. 1884-1969 Mollie 1883-1955 Theodore Christian Hofmann was born 21 September 1884 in Pleasant Township, Van Wert County, Ohio, to Jacob J. and Anna (Siegel) Hofmann. …

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Friedrich Schinnerer’s Property

During the 19th century Germans immigrated to America for many reasons. Among the most common reasons were the economic opportunities and the availability of farm land in America. Both of these things were an important part of my great-great-grandfather’s life. After emigrating from Bavaria in June of 1849 Friedrich Schinnerer settled down and lived the …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Henry F. & Louise M. (Schumm) Schinnerer

This is the tombstone of Henry F. and Louise M. (Schumm) Schinnerer and their daughter Lydia A. Schinnerer, located in row 4 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: SCHINNERER Henry F. 1867-1952  Louise M. 1870-1952  Lydia A. 1897-1985 Heinrich Friedrich Schinnerer, known as Henry F., was the fourth child born …

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Schinnerer’s Mill

No, this is not a photo of Friedrich Schinnerer’s gristmill, but I like to think his mill probably looked a lot like this one. Both mills were built in the 1840s and were located in west central Ohio. Friedrich was my great-great-grandfather and he immigrated from Bavaria in 1849. Within two months he and his …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Joseph and Clara (Schinnerer) Gunsett

This is the tombstone of Joseph and Clara A. (Schinnerer) Gunsett, located in row 7 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: GUNSETT Father Joseph 1863-1931  Mother Clara A. 1866-1942 According to Zion Schumm’s records Joseph Gunsett was born 30 April 1863 in Tully Township, Van Wert County, and …

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