OBIT: William Harrison FLENNER, 1912, Tyrone, Blair County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Sharon Miller Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/ _________________________________________ WILLIAM HARRISON FLENNER. Prominent Tyrone Citizen, Died Early Monday Morning When the word was passed around in Tyrone on Monday that Dr. Flenner had passed away, a feeling of profound sadness seemed to enter into the lives of his hosts of friends who regret very much to hear of his death, and know that this splendid man will not be one of them again in this life. Dr. Flenner has been ailing the past two or three years and has not been at his office in the Herald block since early spring. He gradually grew weaker, until he passed away this morning at one-thirty o'clock, of heart disease. William Harrison Flenner was one of Tyrone's best known and highly respected citizens, who has maintained his home here for thirty years, has been in the fire insurance business since May, 1896, and was very active in Grand Army affairs, being a surviving officer of the great Civil war. He was born at Huntingdon County, Pa., May 11, 1839, and was a son of Captain John and Eliza S. (Rettew) Flenner. William H. Flenner was educated in Professor Hall's private school at Huntingdon and later became a student in the Mooresville Collegiate Institute. Through William Lewis and his estimable wife, he became interested in printing offices and was connected with Mr. Lewis in this line for some time. He taught school for a period of twenty-four terms in Huntingdon County, three terms in Oneida township, three terms in Potter township, four terms in Franklin township, two terms in Jackson township, nine terms at Birmingham and one at Huntingdon. He was recognized as a young man of brilliant parts at that time and the position of clerk to the board of county commissioners was offered him; this he did not accept, but at the opening of the Civil war he was serving as tax collector. When the call to arms was made in '61, Mr. Flenner was made a sergeant in Company D, 5th Pa. Vol. Inf. This company was discharged July 25, 1861, and Mr. Flenner then returned home and shortly afterward was appointed recruiting officer for Company H, 125th P.V.I. Mr. Flenner and his father went out in the same company, the latter as first lieutenant, and later became captain. Mr. Flenner was appointed sergeant-major of the regiment. He went to Washington and thence to Virginia with recruits. Afterward, until the close of the war, serving in every rank up to the captaincy. After he returned to Huntingdon county, he practiced dentistry, having learned the profession previous to enlisting in the army, and continued in the practice of that profession for thirty years. Shortly after the Spanish-American war, he sold out his professional interest and by order of his physician, sought an occupation less strenuous than dental surgery. On August 20, 1861, Mr. Flenner was married to Miss Amanda Jane Mattern, who with the following children survive to mourn the husband and father's death: A. W., of Tyrone; H. R. of Erie; George S., A. Raymond, Mrs. Bertha F. Murphy, and Mrs. P. D. Wilson, of Tyrone, and Mrs. A. R. Rhodes, of Bellwood. He is also Survived by the following brother and sisters: John R., of Muskogee, Oklahoma; Mrs. D. S. Africa, Huntingdon, and Mrs. Emma Thompson, of Hamilton Square, N. J. William H. Flenner was a Republican in his political sentiment and at the time of his death was serving in fourth term as assessor. When he first came to Tyrone, he was offered one of the public schools, but he declined the honor as he had made up his mind to leave the educational field, in which, however, he had been usually successful. He was identified with the First English Lutheran church and with Col. D. M. Jones Post No. 172, G.A.R. and of Colonel James Crothers Camp Sons of Veterans. The funeral was held Wednesday afternoon at 2.30 o'clock. Services were conducted at the Flenner home, No. 239 East Tenth street, by Rev. W. H. Fahs. Interment in Grandview cemetery. Tyrone Herald, Tyrone, Pa., June 20, 1912