Born in Greene County, Pa., Aug. 28, 1830, where he was educated and learned his trade. He came to Iowa in 1852, at twenty-one years of age, to assist in building a mill, but liking the country, after a return to Pennsylvania, he came to Iowa to permanently reside. In 1865 he purchased his present farm being finely cultivated and one of the finest in the county for comfort and beauty of location. On March 27, 1856, he married Margaret, daughter of John and Milinda (Patterson) Brown, natives of Ireland and Pennsylvania, respectively. Mr. Flenniken is a member of the A. F. & A. M. Fraternity. He has held many of the township offices, and in 1872-'3 represented his county in the State Legislature; the session of 1873 was for the purpose of codifying the laws of the State, in which work he evinced much skill and good judgment, coupled with much hard work, as his co-laborers can attest. Mr. Flenniken devotes most of his time to his trade, building and furnishing grist-mills, putting in the Flenniken patent turbine water-wheel, which is the best wheel in use. He has opened an office in Dubuque, Iowa, in company with T. W. Graham, in connection with the Utter Manufacturing Company of Rockford, Ill. and is doing a very large and profitable business. He has met with great success, and is one of the wealthiest citizens.