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

Feb 21

Tombstone Tuesday-Charles & Clara (Schumm) Merkle

This is the tombstone of Charles and Clara (Schumm) Merkle, located in row 5 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

MERKLE
Charles
Jan. 8, 1869
Sept. 4, 1963

Clara
July 24, 1875
Jan. 14, 1936

Feb 17

Chatt-area News, February 1911

Some more news from our area of the county, from February 1911 issues of The Celina Democrat.

Feb 14

Tombstone Tuesday-Knights Templar Symbol

This is an interesting tombstone inscription I have seen a few times, the symbol of the Freemason order of Knights Templar. The inscription features a cross with the Latin phrase In Hoc Signo Vinces.

Feb 10

Black Creek & Liberty News, 1911

I have moved from 1910 and am now looking through the 1911 issues of The Celina Democrat, searching for news and information about Black Creek and Liberty Townships. Most of the news the paper printed was from the Celina area, but occasionally there is news from the northwest part of the county.

Feb 07

Tombstone Tuesday-Masonic Tombstone Art

Masonic symbols are usually easily identified on tombstones. The Masons, also known as Freemasons or Free and Accepted Masons, is a fraternal society that originated in the Middle Ages from stonemason and cathedral builder guilds.