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. The Milligan Painting — 22 comments
  5. Metal Cemetery Monuments — 21 comments

Author's posts

Tombstone Tuesday–Joseph and Clara (Schinnerer) Gunsett

This is the tombstone of Joseph and Clara A. (Schinnerer) Gunsett, located in row 7 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: GUNSETT Father Joseph 1863-1931  Mother Clara A. 1866-1942 According to Zion Schumm’s records Joseph Gunsett was born 30 April 1863 in Tully Township, Van Wert County, and …

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The Flourist

He gave his occupation as flourist in the 1860 census. That was a pretty good description of his profession. He was a successful Germany immigrant. A hard-working, enterprising immigrant who probably arrived in America with very little money, but with a lot of ambition and skill. This is the story of my great-great-grandfather Friedrich Schinnerer, who …

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Tombstone Tuesday–John and Elizabeth (Schinnerer) Scaer

This is the tombstone of John and Elizabeth (Schinnerer) Scaer, located in row 2 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: SCAER John 1865-1940  Elizabeth 1870-1951 The Scaer surname has been spelled several ways over the years. Spellings include Scaer, Scare, Scarr, and  Skahr. John’s brother Peter changed the …

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About Grandmothers

I am happy to report that a new generation has been added to our family tree. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life, and as a result, I have a new title. My new title, in addition to titles of Registered Dental Hygienist and Certified Genealogist, is Grandma. But unlike the …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Maria Schinnerer

This is the tombstone of Rosine Catherine Marie Schinnerer, located in row 8 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The nearly illegible marker is inscribed: Maria ? Tochter von F. & E. Schinner geb. 14 Mai 1864 gest. 23 April 1875 Alter 10 Jahr 11 Monat, 9 Tage Translation: Maria ?, Daughter …

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