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 22

Old Advertising Items from Willshire Grain & Supply

Last week I wrote about Willshire Grain & Supply, where my mom worked as their bookkeeper for 33 years. The three local grain elevators were owned by Tom Burk and were located in Willshire, Schumm, and Wren, Ohio. As was the practice of many businesses, Willshire Grain & Supply gave away advertising items, especially at …

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Sep 19

Tombstone Tuesday–Jacob & Margaret (Huffman) Bollenbacher

This is the tombstone of Jacob and  Margaret (Huffman) Bollenbacher, located in row 8, Kessler Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Jacob 1848-1929 Margaret His Wife 1855-1921 BOLLENBACHER Jacob Bollenbacher was born in Petersbach, Germany, on 28 October 1848, the son of Abraham Bollenbacher. [1] Some sources show that his mother’s name was …

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Sep 15

Willshire Grain & Supply

When harvest time comes around I always remember how busy my mom, Florence (Schumm) Miller, was during the fall harvest as Willshire Grain & Supply’s bookkeeper. She often put in extra hours during what was probably the busiest time of the year for both her and the farmers. Anyone who knew my mother remembers that …

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Sep 12

Tombstone Tuesday–Samuel A. Bollenbacher

This is the mausoleum marker of Samuel Abraham Bollenbacher, located in the Chattanooga Mausoleum, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. His vault is inscribed: Samuel A. BOLLENBACHER Born—1872 Died–1945 Samuel Abraham Bollenbacher was born 22 July 1872 in Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio, the son of George (1830-1912) and Anna Barbara (Albrecht) Bollenbacher (1836-1913). [1] In …

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Sep 08

Wendel Motor Sales, Chattanooga, Ohio

A few weeks ago someone asked me about the history of Wendel’s Garage/Motor Sales in Chattanooga, Ohio. I remember the Wendel Brothers car dealership very well. We called it Wendel’s Garage and the business was located across from the Chatt Restaurant/Bar. The building is currently occupied by the Chatt Fire Department. I remember that it …

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