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–Heinrich C. Hiller

This is the tombstone of Heinrich Conrad Hiller, located in row 8 of Kessler Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. Rows are numbered starting at the east side of the cemetery. The marker, which has fallen off its base, is inscribed: Heinrich C. Sohn von J. und M. Hiller Gest. Den 21, Apr. 1905 Alter 33J, 7M, …

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Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from Karen’s Chatt!

Tombstone Tuesday–John D. Hiller

This is the tombstone of John Dietrich Hiller, located in row 6 of Kessler Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: John D. Hiller 1870-1952 “John” Dietrich Hiller was born 6 August 1870 in Adams County, Indiana, the son of Jacob and Martha (Sundmacher) Hiller. John was baptized 11 September 1870 at Zion Chatt …

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Restorations to Zion Chatt’s Cemetery, 2015

Keeping a 150-year-old cemetery in good condition can be a challenge. Occasionally repairs to tombstones that are leaning or broken need to be made and recently several markers in Zion Chatt’s Cemetery had a face-lift, thanks to Kevin Foster of FOSCO Services, Monroe, Indiana. Zion’s Church Council initiated and followed through with the restoration project. …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Jacob & Martha (Sundmacher) Hiller

This is the tombstone of Jacob and Martha (Sundmacher) Hiller, located in row 6 of Kessler Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: FATHER Jacob 1842-1926 MOTHER Martha 1848-1922 HILLER Jacob and Martha were the parents of Katharina Hiller (1882-1910), who married Georg Linn, a couple I recently wrote a Tombstone Tuesday about. Jacob …

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