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

Some Christmas Postcards from Years Past

My grandfather, Cornelius Schumm, had a scrapbook filled with postcards he received and collected when he was a young man in the early part of the twentieth century. I am not sure how I ended up with the scrapbook but I am glad to have it. I like old postcards and have a modest collection …

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Tombstone Tuesday–George M. Schumm

This is the tombstone of George Martin Schumm, located in row 6 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Hier ruhet in Gott George M. Schumm Gestorben Den 4 Juni 1871 Im Alter von 58 Jahr 6 mo. 24 Tage Translation: Here rests in God, George M. Schumm, died …

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Wedding Postponed Due to Snow and Cold

It was supposed to be a nice Sunday afternoon wedding, scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend,1950. Months of preparations and details were finally completed. The beautiful satin wedding gown from Fort Wayne had been fitted, pressed, and delivered. The Reverend Werner Von Kuhlberg and organist Velma Schumm were ready for the ceremony. The wedding cake was decorated …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Catharina Schüler

This is the tombstone of Catharina Schüler, located in Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Hier ruhet in Gott Catharina Ehefrau von Michael Schüler Geborn 21 April 1810 Gestorben 3 Deceb 1838 Translation: Here rests in God, Catharina, wife of Michael Schüler, born 21 April 1810, died 3 December …

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A Chatt-Area Graduation?

A reader from Indiana recently sent me a copy of an old photo. Donna found the photo among her sister’s items and had never seen the photo before. Their mother is standing with a group of young adults and Donna believes the photo may be an eighth grade graduation picture, taken about 1910 at a …

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