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–Johann Christopher Michael Lotter

This is the tombstone of Johann Christopher Michael Lotter, located in row 7 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Hier Ruhet Johann Christopher M. Lotter Gest 17 Oct 1894 Alt 15 Jahr 10 Tag “Here rests Johann Christopher M. Lotter, died 17 October 1894, aged 15 years and 10 …

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Driving Grandma

It is hard to imagine not driving–not getting into your car and driving whenever and wherever you want. But that was the case with both of my grandmothers. Neither one could drive. At least neither one ever had a driver’s license or drove an automobile. My grandmothers, Gertrude (Brewster) Miller and Hilda (Scaer) Schumm, always …

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Tombstone Tuesday–John Peter Lotter

This is the tombstone of John Peter Lotter, located in row 5 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: John P. Lotter Died Mar 29 1891 Aged 55Y  5M  22D According to Zion Chatt’s records John Peter Lotter was born 8 October 1835 in Zweifelsheim, Bavaria. He was likely the …

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Happy New Year! But Who Is Sylvester?

Years ago we used this small 1935 hymnal for our Sunday School opening service. The hymns are arranged by the church season and there are five hymns for saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the New Year–a season named Sylvester and New Year in this hymn book. I always wondered–just who was …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Anna Lotter

This is the tombstone of Anna Lotter located in row 5 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Hier ruhet Anna Lotter Gest. 26 Mar 1890 Alter 82 Jahr 7 Mo. U. 5 T “Here rests Anna Lotter, died 26 March 1890, age 82 years, 7 months, and 5 days.” …

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