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

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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Friedrich Schinnerer–Immigration & 1st Marriage

Meet Friedrich Schinnerer, my great-great-grandfather. He was born in Ipsheim, Bad-Windsheim, Kingdom of Bavaria, on 8 May 1824, the third child of Georg Michael and Anna Barbara (Zeller) Schinnerer. His paternal grandparents were Johann Conrad and Margaretha (Doepert) Schinnerer. [1] When he was almost 25 years of age Friedrich sailed from Le Havre, France, on …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Friedrich & Elisabeth (Schumm) Schinnerer

This is the tombstone of Friedrich and Elisabeth (Schumm) Schinnerer, located in row 9 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Elisabeth Schinnerer Geb. den 17 Nov. 1841 Gest. den 11 Juli 1917 Alter 75 Ja. 7 Mo. 24 Ta. Friedrich Schinnerer Geb. den 8 Mai 1824 Gest. den …

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Rose and Emma Rüeck

The past few weeks have been bitterly cold, very windy, and snowy here in Ohio. Weather alerts on my phone inform me that it is a poor time for outdoor fitness. So I have stayed indoors as much as possible, spending my time going through and sorting old photos. This photo caught my eye and …

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