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

Sep 02

Labor Day and the Durbin Bean Bake

I know what everyone is wondering right now–where did the summer go? As usual, this summer has gone quickly and here it is, Labor Day weekend, which traditionally marks the end of summer.

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.