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

Chattanooga Happenings–April 1940

Yesterday I listed all the inhabitants of Chattanooga, Ohio, as they were recorded in the 1940 census. After that I decided I wanted to learn more about what was going on in the village back in 1940. So I went to the Mercer County Public Library in Celina and looked through several April 1940 issues …

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Inhabitants of Chattanooga, Ohio, 1940

This past week I continued to look through the 1940 census, focusing on the nearest place I can call my home town—the unincorporated village of Chattanooga, in Mercer County, Ohio. Just who were the approximately 150 residents living there in April 1940? The 1940 census gave me that information. Chattanooga, called Chatt by the locals, …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Maria Katharina Dietrich

This is the tombstone of Maria Katharina Dietrich located in row 6 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed Hier ruhet in Gott, Maria Katharina, gattin von J. Jacob Dietrich, gestorben den 28 Mai 1871, alter 68 jahre, 9 monat, 13 tag. [Here rests in God Maria Catharina, wife …

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Bennett Family in the 1940 Census

This past week I continued to browse through the recently released 1940 census on Ancestry.com. This time I was looking for my husband’s side of the family. I found Joe’s mother Louise with her family right away. I knew they were probably living in Celina, Jefferson Township, Mercer County, Ohio, but I did not know …

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Tombstone Tuesday—Johann Jacob Dietrich

This is the tombstone of Johann Jacob Dietrich, located in row 6 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed Hier ruhet in Gott Johann Jacob Dietrich, geb. den 18 Deb. 1786, gest, den 26 April 1866, alt 79 Jahr 4 Monat & 8 Tag. (Here rests in God Johann …

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