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

Aug 30

Tombstone Tuesday-Edna A. & Clara M. Schumm

This is the tombstone of Edna A. and Clara M. Schumm, located in row 9 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:
Edna A.
1895-1990
Clara M.
1898-1984
Sisters Edna and Clara Schumm were the fifth and sixth of eight children born to Henry M. (1861-1941) and Minnie (Hoppe) (1860-1937) Schumm.

Aug 26

Radio Set Owners in 1930, Willshire & Liberty (Mercer) Townships

Today, a list of those in two local townships that answers the 1930 census question, Who Owned a Radio? In the 1930 census, question number 9 asked if the family owned a radio set. It is interesting to see who, if any, in my family owned a radio and if any of their neighbors did. Perhaps your family owned a radio in 1930.

Aug 23

Tombstone Tuesday–Pythian Sisters Symbol

The Pythian Sisters, the female auxiliary of the Knights of Pythias, had their own symbol, a Maltese cross with the letters PLEF. These letters stand for Purity, Love, Equality, and Fidelity. This is the symbol used on a member’s tombstone.

Aug 19

Black Creek & Willshire Radio Set Owners in 1930

A few years ago I did some research for someone and the one piece of information that the client found most interesting was that his relative owned a radio in 1930. Yes, question number 9 on the 1930 census asked if the family owned a radio set. Below I have copied the radio set owners in Black Creek Township and the village of Willshire, as reported in the 1930 census.

Aug 16

Tombstone Tuesday-Rosa (Lillich) Buechner

This is the tombstone of Rosa (Lillich) Buechner, located in row 11 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

ROSA
Wife of Henry
BUECHNER
1862-1929