John Fleener was a farmer and pioneer of Washington County, Indiana, where he and his third wife lived out their lives. He came to the Indiana Territory either in 1807 or 1808 from Kentucky. He was the father of at least 23 children and ancestor of thousands of Hoosiers.

He was born in Frederick Co., Maryland to Nicholas and Maria Catharina Fulkerson Fleenor. He was christened on April 8, 1771 as Johannes Flinner at Grace Lutheran Church, Rocky Hill, Maryland. His first or middle initial may have been "W.". This name may have been "Wilhelm" but an actual reference source would be nice. At this time the family was still primarily using German names. Therefore, his first or middle name could have been "Wilhelm" but probably not the English version "William". At any rate, he went by "John". John was of German ancestry on his father's side and Norwegian and Dutch ancestry on his mother's side. The Fulkerson surname was originally Volckertzen. The early Fleeners were said to have blue eyes, blond hair and were about average in height and weight.

The family moved to Three Springs, Washington Co., Virginia in the 1770s. This is where John grew up and where he married his first wife Elizabeth "Betsy" Hensley on October 6, 1789. John and Betsy were the parents of eight children: William Nicholas, Mary "Polly" Housh, Nancy Minerva Carter, Frederick, Christopher, Abraham, Dorcas "Docia" Housh and James G.

John and Betsy left Virginia and may have briefly lived at the Watauga settlement at Elizabethton, Tennessee. Around 1800 they went into Kentucky with several children, following the Wilderness Road. They came through the Cumberland Gap with an associate of Daniel Boone, Micajah Calloway and probably lived three years or so in Woodford Co., Kentucky which was 2 miles from the Calloway Plantations. A few of the Fleener children may have been born here. The family lived a short time in Jefferson Co., Kentucky, say around 1806-1807.

Around 1807 or 1808 the Fleeners settled in Harrison Co., Indiana Territory. The area that John lived in later became Washington Co., Indiana. Washington County was first settled by Frederick Royce in 1802 and became a county in 1814. So, John was in Indiana long before it became a state in 1816. However, John was not the first settler in the state as some may have it since the French came to Indiana in 1679 and there were quite a few forts and settlements in the state by 1808.

The federal land grant shows the description as #148, NE 1/4 Sec. 4 Range 2N 4E, Sept. 8, 1808. The final certificate is dated July 11, 1811. It mentions that he was from Jefferson Co., Kentucky. The land office was located in Jeffersonville, Indiana. There were many later land entries for John Fleener and he owned hundreds of acres in Washington Co., Indiana.

John built a blockhouse and stockade called Fleenor's Fort which housed seven to eight families for several years. Some of the residents included E. Carter Nicholas who was a friend of Daniel Boone, Archibald Johnson, Elisha Denny, Micajah Callaway and George House or Housh.

John filed for divorce from Elizabeth owing to the fact that she was not a resident of the Indiana Territory. Elizabeth left the children with John and went to Roane Co., Tennessee and she married second to David Halley.

John was on the roll of Capt. Hargraves' Company of Indiana Militia; mustered into service and fought Indians from Sept. 18 to Nov. 19, 1811. He also served with William Henry Harrison at the Battle of Tippecanoe in the War of 1812.

On his land John operated one of the first distilleries in the county. A copper still was used. Rye whiskey and choice old peach brandy were once made from the still. The militia and rifle companies used to congregate there to muster.

Many records exist pertaining to the life of John Fleener: voting records, Commissioners' records, tax records and census records among others. In 1812 he had four horses and was listed as living in Harrison County which was a parent county of Washington County.

John married second to Mary Grisamore around 1814. This surname was originally spelled Griesemer. The Grisamores lived nearby in Jeffersonville, Clark Co., Indiana. No marriage record has been found but many marriages from this era were not recorded. Jeffersonville is just across the river from Jefferson Co., Kentucky where John had lived briefly prior to coming to Indiana, say around 1806 to 1807. He appears to have gone back to that area in 1814 to marry. The Grisamores were of German origin. John and Mary were the parents of seven known children and possibly 10 children in all: Elizabeth "Betsy" Nicholson, Michael, Sarah Jane Bowman, Jacob, Abraham, Isaac and Benjamin F. There may have been three more children as Mary was said to be the mother of 10 children; perhaps these three died in infancy. Mary appears to have died in 1831. She may be buried at the Nicholson Cemetery but it is not known.

John married a third time on July 21, 1831 in Washington Co., Indiana to Rebecca Putorff. The Putorff name was originally Batdorf and originated in Thuringia, Germany. There are many variant spellings of this surname. John and Rebecca were the parents of eight children: Henry Harry, Rhoda Ann Hornocker, Martha Ellen Driskell, William M., Francis Marion, Delitha, Lydia and Carren.

John Fleenor's will: Washington Co., Indiana Will Book A, Page 425, dated Feb. 2, 1850. Probated Sept. 22, 1853.

Note regarding birth year: The birth date on the stone is incorrect. His actual birth year is 1771 per: Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church and St. Peters Church records of Frederick Co., MD, 1767-1875. Flinner - Christened: 8 April 1771, Born: 31 January 1771, Johannes (s) 00083-6, Father: Nicholas Flinner, Mother: Maria Catarina Flinner.

Much more can be learned about the Fleeners by reading John Fleener of Washington County, Indiana compiled by a descendant : Dora B. Merriman.

Updated Sept. 23, 2013 by Frank Merriman.