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

The Ministers of Zion Lutheran Church, Chattanooga, Ohio (1-6)

Last week Zion Lutheran Church at Chattanooga, Ohio, celebrated its 160th anniversary with a special church service and dinner afterward. During those 160 years Zion has had nearly 30 ministers. Ten years ago, for Zion’s 150th anniversary, I compiled short biographies of Zion’s ministers. The information for these biographies came from the ELCA Archives at …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Michael Allmandinger

This is the tombstone of Michael Allmandinger, located in row 1 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Michael Allmandinger Gestorben Den 9 Dec 1883 Alter 25 Jahr, 8 Tag Translation: Michael Allmandinger, died 9 Dec 1883, aged 25 years, 8 days. Michael was the son of Lewis and Rosina …

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Zion Lutheran Church, Chattanooga, Celebrates Its 160th Anniversary (1855-2015)

It was established a mere 160 years ago and is still active to this day. This coming Sunday, 27 September 2015, we will celebrate Zion Chatt’s 160th anniversary during a celebratory worship service at 10:30 with a carry-in dinner to follow. All are welcome to attend, visit, and reminisce. And eat! Zion Evangelical Church was …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Harriet “Eliza” (Bobo) Edgington

This is the tombstone of Harriet Eliza (Bobo) Edgington, located in row 1 of Zion Lutheran cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. This marker is broken and a section is missing, but what can be read is inscribed: ELIZA Wife of FRANKLIN EDG…[broken stone] Died [broken stone] Aged 30 ys. 4 mo. 18 da. I wrote …

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Zion Chatt’s Mid-Summer Mystery, Part 4. The Conclusion and My Ah-ha Moment

So far, in my quest to discover Carrie Edgington Eichhorn Friedell’s connection to Zion Lutheran Church in Chatt, I have learned a whole lot about her adult life. I learned about her two husbands, Edwin H. Eichhorn and Max W. Friddle/Friedell; her two children, Glen and Lillian Marie Eichhorn Whitney; and her grandchildren. I made …

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