According to local legend, if you flash the lights of your car onto Flo’s grave three times, her ghost will appear and approach you. Stories about how she died have circulated for years, with some saying she was waiting for her boyfriend to pick her up for a school dance at Ogden High when she was struck and killed by a car. Another version claims she choked on a piece of candy. But how close are these stories to the real events that caused her untimely death?
Florence Louise Grange, often called Louise rather than Florence or Flo, was born on November 24, 1903, in Ogden. She was the second child of Dottie Susan Mumford and Ralph Manton Grange. From the limited information available, she appeared to be a well-liked girl, mentioned as a guest at various social gatherings and even playing on a school volleyball team in 1916.
In 1918, the world was hit by the devastating Spanish Flu pandemic, which claimed between 20 and 50 million lives worldwide, including nearly 700,000 in the United States. Utah was particularly hard-hit, ranking as the third most affected state. By late November of that year, the outbreak overwhelmed Ogden’s hospitals, prompting officials to convert an LDS amusement hall into an emergency care center. Residents needed a clean bill of health just to enter the city. From September 1918 until June 1919, over 2,343 deaths in Utah were attributed to the Spanish Flu, which was especially severe for young, otherwise healthy individuals.
The Grange family, like many others, was not spared from the flu. According to their family history, they contracted the illness after one of their tenants became sick. Most of the family experienced mild cases, but Louise was not as fortunate. She fell seriously ill and, after being sick for ten days, died at home on December 29, 1918, at 5 a.m. She was just 15 years old. Her official cause of death was recorded as “died suddenly, probably of endocarditis,” with influenza as a contributing factor.
It’s possible that the connection between Flo’s ghost and cars stems from her family’s background. Louise’s father, Ralph Grange, was one of Utah’s first auto mechanics, renowned for his expertise in building, fixing, and racing cars.
You can find “Flo’s Grave” at the Ogden City Cemetery, near 20th & Washington. Her resting place is on 7th, just north of Martin, in plot number 2A-13-32-5W. Nearby are the graves of her parents, grandparents, and at least one sibling. Despite the myths surrounding her death, the real story of Florence Louise Grange is a reminder of the tragic toll the Spanish Flu took on young lives like hers.
6 comments
Florence the headlight. Seen it! Bogus!
Me and 5 others have seen her.
I saw this with my cousin and some friends. We pulled up, turned off the car and flashed the lights. She was green, wearing a dress and came towards the car. We started freaking out and the car wouldn’t start (don’t know if it was the driver messing with us or what). At the front of the car she disappeared and then the car started. I looked behind and she was behind us but disappeared again as soon as the car started.
My friends and I decided to try this out one night after an OHS football game. We saw her not once, but twice that night. Scariest thing that’s ever happened to me. Still wondering why she comes out like that and others don’t? I’ll never question spirits ever again.
I also research history and spirits I plan on moving nack to Ogden. I have seen flo personally one night but could not get her on film. Thats nesides the point I have an old slaughter house in Ogden that has,been in my family all my life maybe we can get aquainted and do a story. Thanks so much Stevie look for me on Facebook and I will do the same.
Hi Stevie, best of luck with your move back to Ogden. Feel free to reach out once you’ve moved. – Jen