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

A Letter to Louis Breuninger, 1840

Did you ever wonder what life was like for the immigrants back in the mid-1800s? What challenges did they face? What were their main concerns? What were they doing? Were they employed? Did they have friends or relatives in America? I was able to get a glimpse into the life of two immigrants from a …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Louis and Maria Breuninger

This is the tombstone of Louis and Maria Breuninger, located in row 6 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: BREUNINGER, Louis Breuninger, Born Dec. 15, 1819, Died Nov. 5, 1890, Aged 70y, 10m, 20d. Maria His Wife, Born Apr. 13, 1827, Died June 19, 1910, Aged 83y, 2m, …

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Is This Emily?

Is there anything more frustrating than having old family photos but not knowing who the people in the photos are? I scanned a whole photo album of wonderful turn of the century photos and not one of them was labeled. I’m sure the owner of the album knew who every man, woman and child was, …

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day—the holiday that encourages us to express our affections to those we love. Today there will be many cards sent and received, flowers and chocolates given and romantic dinners shared. Exchanging valentine cards in school has been a tradition for many years. My mom still has many of the valentine cards that she received …

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For Whom the Bell Tolls

This is the bell tower of Zion Lutheran Church, Chattanooga. Nowadays we hear the church bell ring on Sunday mornings, but many years ago church bells rang every day and played an important part in the daily lives of the people of the church and the community. When my great-great-grandfather Louis Breuninger came to America from …

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