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. Metal Cemetery Monuments — 25 comments
  5. The Milligan Painting — 24 comments

Author's posts

Nov 08

A Story for Veterans Day

This coming Monday, 11 November 2019, we commemorate Veterans Day. Originally called Armistice Day, Veterans Day was created to recognize of the end of World War I. Fighting between the Allied nations and Germany ceased on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. That date is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”  Veterans Day was made a legal holiday in 1938. Now we take the day to honor all U.S. military veterans.

Nov 05

Tombstone Tuesday–Frederick G. & Minnie A. (Roehm) Schinnerer

This is the tombstone of Frederick G. and Minnie A. (Roehm) Schinnerer, located in row 6 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

SCHINNERER
Father
Frederick G.
1861-1935

Mother
Minnie A.
1871-1953

Nov 01

A Few More Photos & Articles, 1918 Dynamiting of Schumm School

Last week I posted a photo of the exterior of Schumm’s Parochial School, after it was dynamited in the early hours of Sunday, 20 October 1918. The dynamiting of the small parochial school was big news for this area and across the country as well.

Oct 29

Some Cemetery Statue Photos

Halloween is this Thursday and today I am taking a break from my usual Tombstone Tuesday to instead post some of my favorite photos that I have taken of cemetery statues.

Oct 25

1918 Photo of Dynamited Schumm Parochial School

One hundred and one years ago residents in the area of Schumm, Ohio, were shocked when Zion Lutheran’s parochial school was dynamited in the early morning hours of 20 October 1918. The time was during WWI, when the country was filled with anti-German sentiment. Schumm was settled by German immigrants.