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? — 32 comments
  3. The Old Willshire Hotel — 30 comments
  4. The Milligan Painting — 22 comments
  5. Metal Cemetery Monuments — 21 comments

Author's posts

Memorial Day 2013

Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, traditionally marks the beginning of summer. But the true meaning of the holiday is much more than that. Memorial Day dates back to the Civil War and began as a way to remember and honor both Union and Confederate soldiers who were killed in battle. Memorial Day was officially …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Michael G. Pflueger

This is the tombstone of Michael G. Pflueger, located in row 6 of Greenbriar Cemetery, Willshire Township, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Michael G. Pflueger Died 1 Jul 1903 Aged 79 y, 1 m, 13 d Gone but not forgotten There is also a flagstaff near his marker that is inscribed: GAR …

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Chattanooga News, June 1927

Local newspapers reported news about Chattanooga, Ohio, in the first half of the 20th century. The Willshire Herald printed a Chattanooga column during the 1930s and 40s and I recently discovered that The Rockford Press also had a frequent column about the Chattanooga residents, or as I like to call them, the Chattanoogians. The newsy …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Maria C. Pflueger

This is the tombstone of Maria C. Pflueger, located in row 9 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. In addition to Maria’s name the names of five of her children are inscribed on the four sides of the marker. The front of the marker has the names of Maria C. and her …

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The Top Ten Reasons for a Genealogical Conference

Because I enjoy attending genealogy conferences and consider them worthwhile for learning about and keeping up with the latest methodology in genealogical research, I signed on to be an FGS 2013 Ambassador. So, from time to time, I will blog about the upcoming FGS Conference, to be held in Fort Wayne this coming August. Today’s …

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