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 and genealogy research for over 35 years and am Credentialed as a Board-certified genealogist by the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, 2003-2024, retired 2024. My main genealogical interests are family research, cemetery research, and historical and genealogical research of the Chatt area. I also 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 U.S. Daughters of 1812, First Families of Ohio, and First Families of Mercer and Van Wert Counties. I am a retired dental hygienist and our church organist for over 60 years. 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

May 11

Tombstone Tuesday-Susannah (King) Hartzog

This is the tombstone of Susannah (King) Hartzog, located in row 8 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Susannah
Wife of Solom
on Hartzog Wa
s Born Dec 31’ 1811
& Died November
2, 1842 Aged 31
Years, 10 m. &
1 day

May 07

Old Friends Churches in Van Wert County

Last week I wrote about the Friends (Quaker) churches in northern Mercer County, as described by Gregory P. Hinshaw in his Brief History of the Churches of Van Wert Quarterly Meeting of Friends (Quakers).

Today, again using Hinshaw’s history, the Friends churches in neighboring Van Wert County.

May 04

Tombstone Tuesday-Ivy Symbol

Some tombstones are embellished with artwork that represents ivy leaves or ivy vines.
Ivy is always green and will survive under harsh conditions. Because of this it is associated with immortality and fidelity.

Apr 30

Friends Churches in Northern Mercer County

One of my sources for last week’s blog post about the old Pleasant Hill Friends Church in Dublin Township was a compilation of Friends churches in the Mercer-Van Wert County area by Gregory P. Hinshaw. His “Brief History of the Churches of Van Wert Quarterly Meeting of Friends (Quakers)” gives some very good information about these early local churches.

I was surprised to learn that there were five Friends Churches within a few miles of us. Two of the churches are still standing in their original locations, two have been moved to other locations, and one church has been taken down.

Apr 27

Tombstone Tuesday-Solomon Hartzog

This is the tombstone of Solomon Hartzog, located in row 8 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:
Solomon Hartzog
Died
Nov. 7, 1848
aged 39 years
and 11 months