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

Tombstone Tuesday–Maria Seaman

This is the tombstone of Maria Seaman, located in row 1 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Maria Tochter von Johannes Und Maria A[?] Seeman Gestorben Den 12 April 1862 Alter 6 Yahre 4 Monate, 4 Tage Maria, daughter of Johannes Seeman, died on 12 April 1862, aged …

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Dear Mom & All–WWII Letters from Herb (part 28)

Yes, I am still transcribing the letters my dad, Herbert Miller, wrote home while in the Army, stationed in Germany during WWII and the occupation period afterward. His family saved a lot, if not most of his letters and my goal is to transcribe them all. Posting them here is a good motivation for me …

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Tombstone Tuesday–John Seaman & Emma (Seaman) Kreiselmeyer

This is the tombstone of John Seaman and his daughter Emma (Seaman) Kreiselmeyer, located in row 7 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: John Seaman Sep. 1, 1814 May 29, 1897 Emma Kreiselmeyer Aug. 7, 1857 Apr. 3, 1896 SEAMAN In last week’s Tombstone Tuesday I wrote about …

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1919–Bluffton Shuts Out Celina, 138-0

I appreciate it when Karen’s Chatt readers write me with interesting information and stories about people and events in our area of west central Ohio and neighboring Indiana. I want to thank Lynne for sending me the following newspaper transcription, which she transcribed from a framed 1935 Bluffton, Indiana, newspaper, The News-Banner. I find it …

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Tombstone Tuesday–John Kreiselmeyer

This is the tombstone of John Kreiselmeyer, located in row 5 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: John Kreiselmeyer Died 20 Jul 1887 Aged 32 y. 8 m. 21 d. Johann “John” Kreiselmeyer was born 29 November 1854 in Willshire Township, Van Wert County, Ohio, the son of …

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