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

Brain Freeze

It hits you right between the eyes, smack in the middle of your forehead. At our house we call it brain freeze. I am not referring to the inability to think clearly or about having a senior moment. I am talking about the dreaded ice cream headache. This malady even has a scientific name, sphenopalatine …

Continue reading

Tombstone Tuesday–John and Anna C. Brandt

This is the tombstone of John and Anna C. Brandt, located in row 8 of Duck Creek Cemetery, Blackcreek Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed [south side]: John Brandt Died Mar. 12, 1868, Aged  57 ys, 9 mo, 13 ds. [north side]: Anna C., Wife of John Brandt Died Apr. 22, 1878, Aged …

Continue reading

Theodore C. Ellis, Son of Albert G. & Eliza (Breuninger) Ellis

Sadly, one of the all too common realities of family life in the 19th century was dealing with the illness and impending death of a family member. Too often that family member was a child or sibling. The letter that follows gives us a glimpse of the feelings of the family at such a time–the worry, …

Continue reading

Tombstone Tuesday–Romeo Brandt

This is the tombstone of Heinrich Romeo Brandt, located in row 3 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed ROMEO, Son of L. & M. Brant, Born Apr 10, 1876, Died Mar. 31, 1894, Aged 17 y. 11 m. 21 d. His tombstone is next to that of his parents. …

Continue reading

Eliza C. J. Breuninger and Albert G. Ellis

Eliza Breuninger, my great-great-grandaunt, was the second wife of the well-known Green Bay, Wisconsin, pioneer Albert Gallatin Ellis. She was also the sister of my great-great-grandfather, Louis Breuninger (1819-1890). Had it not been for the letters and documents saved by my ancestor Louis Breuninger (which I refer to as “The Breuninger Collection”) I may never have discovered …

Continue reading