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 is there any truth to these tales, or is Flo’s real story even more heartbreaking than the legend?
Who was Florence Louise Grange?
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.
The Spanish Flu and Ogden’s Darkest Year
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 among the hardest-hit states, ranking third in flu-related deaths. By November, Ogden’s hospitals were so overwhelmed that officials turned an LDS amusement hall into an emergency care center. The pandemic is significant when discussing Flo’s grave, as it shaped her life and death.
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.
Flo’s Final Days: The Truth Behind the Tragedy
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. These events are foundational to the legend surrounding Flo’s grave.
The myth of Flo’s ghost appearing near headlights may have an unexpected link. Her father, Ralph Grange, was one of Utah’s first auto mechanics.
Visiting Flo’s Grave in Ogden City Cemetery
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. While legend turned Flo into a ghost story, the truth is even sadder. Her life was one of thousands cut short by the Spanish Flu.
