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

Sep 17

Tombstone Tuesday–Esther A.E. Sauer

This is the tombstone of Esther A. E. Sauer, located in row 3 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Esther A. E. Sauer
Mar. 15, 1908
Mar. 9, 1994

Sep 13

The Miller Brothers in the Oklahoma Oil Fields, c1910-13

Today, as I continue the saga of the Miller brothers in the western oil fields, I am posting the last of the picture postcards the two young men sent home to their parents in rural Mercer County, Ohio.

Sep 10

Tombstone Tuesday–Justina R.M. (Pflueger) Sauer

This is the tombstone of Justina Rosine Magdalena (Pflueger) Sauer, located in row 11 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

SAUER
Hier Ruhet in Gott
Justina R.M.
Ehefr. Von H. Sauer
Geb. Den 12, Dez. 1889
Gest. Den 12, Marz 1918
Alter 28 J. 3 M.

Sep 06

Miller Brothers in the California Oil Fields, c1911

Today, a few more picture postcards that half-brothers Chris Miller and Jacob Miller Jr sent home from the western United States. Chris and Jacob Jr left their farm in northern Mercer County, Ohio, sometime before 1910 and traveled out west to work in the oil fields. There were many oil strikes in several western states during that time and heading out west to join the oil rush have been quite an adventure for two young men. 

Sep 03

Tombstone Tuesday–Henry Sauer

This is the tombstone of Henry Sauer, located in row 3 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Henry Sauer
1884-1948

Henry Sauer was born in Germany on 2 March 1884 [1], the son of John and Anna C. (Meisinger) Sauer.