I drive past the Mount Ogden Mausoleum on an almost daily basis and have always wanted to stop and have a look inside but never have. Until a few days ago. What better way to spend Valentine’s Day, eh?
ogden
Often when I go walking in a cemetery, I’ll spot a headstone that grabs my attention. Maybe it is an unusual style, or maybe the name is unique, who knows? I’ll go home and do some quick research on the name to see if there is any mention in local newspapers or genealogy websites. I have found many interesting stories about people who lived in Ogden and died long ago. People whose stories have become lost to time. Some of them turned out to be well-known watchmakers like
Some of them turn out to be famous watchmakers like William Samelius, while others led quiet lives and their stories have been lost to time. One day while taking a stroll around the Ogden City Cemetery I happened to see the grave of Dirk Groen. While not terribly unusual, I found the inscription interesting and noticed he died at a young age and was curious about the cause of death.
I found that Dirk Groen, who often went by Dick, was a 20-year-old man who had recently been discharged from the Army after serving during WWI. He first got a job for the railroad and then was hired by the Globe Milling & Elevator Company as a carpenter.
While working on scaffolding on Saturday, August 30th, 1919 Dirk somehow fell suffering a skull fracture of which he would not recover. He was declared dead at 4 pm, having lived about an hour and a half after the fall.
Groen’s father and step-mother filed a workers compensation claim against the Globe Milling & Elevator company asserting they were dependent on a portion of Dirk’s wages. Workers compensation laws were new at this time in the United States. Utah didn’t pass the Workers Compensation Act until 1917 and the Groen’s claim was one of the first of its kind in Utah. Since Dirk had no dependents his father asserted that they were dependent on a portion of his income.
Initially, the courts agreed and the insurance company awarded his father $2,192. The insurance company appealed to the state supreme court and the award was overturned stating dependency had not been established. Instead of his father receiving any money, $750 would be sent to the state treasury per law.
Much to the disappointment of my children, I often like to stop by local cemeteries and wander around taking pictures. They usually get dragged along with me. I figure it makes for an interesting childhood, right? ;)We usually end up at the Ogden City Cemetery. It’s close to where we live, it’s relatively old, and it has its fair share of unusual headstones. It seems like even though I’ve been to the cemetery numerous times, I always seem to find something new every time I go.
Flo’s Grave – Ogden City Cemetery
The Legend…
If you flash the lights of your car onto Flo’s grave three times her ghost will appear and come towards you.
The History…
Like most legends it’s impossible to trace this one back to its source. There are a couple of different versions explaining how Flo died, leaving her ghost forever waiting at her grave. One version says that Flo was waiting to be picked up by her boyfriend, to go to the school dance at Ogden High when she was struck and killed by a car. Another says she died from choking on a piece of candy.
Just how close is any of this to what caused Flo’s untimely death? The truth is, not very close at all!
Florence Louise Grange was born on November 24th, 1903, in Ogden. She was the second child born to Dottie Susan Mumford and Ralph Manton Grange. Most of the references to her called her by her middle name Louise, and not Florence or Flo.
From what little information is available, it seems like she was a well-liked girl. There were a couple of mentions of her being a guest at various parties and she was on a school volleyball team in 1916.
In 1918, the United States (and the world) saw the worst influenza pandemic to date, the Spanish Flu. An estimated 20 – 50 million people died from this worldwide. It claimed the lives of almost 700,000 people in the U.S. alone. Utah was the 3rd hardest hit state. It was so bad by late November 1918 that both of the hospitals in Ogden were full, and city officials turned an LDS amusement hall into an emergency care center. People were required to have clean bills of health from their doctors just to enter Ogden. From September 1918 until June 1919 over 2,343 deaths in Utah were reported to have been caused by the Spanish Flu. What was odd about this strain is that it was particularly hard on young, otherwise healthy people.
According to Grange family history, the entire family contracted the flu after one of their tenants became ill and brought it into the household. Most of them caught a mild case and didn’t spend any time in bed sick. Louise, however, was not so lucky.
It’s also worth noting that her family had a strong automobile connection. Could this be where the legend connects her death with an automobile? Her father Ralph Grange was one of the first auto mechanics in the state of Utah. He was well-known throughout the state for his knowledge of fixing, building, and racing cars.
Louise caught the flu and died at her home at 5 am on December 29th, 1918 at the age of 15. Her official cause of death was listed as “died suddenly, probably of endocarditis.” The contributing factor was influenza. Her death certificate also states she had been sick for ten days.
You can find “Flo’s Grave” at the Ogden City Cemetery located near 20th & Washington. Her grave is on 7th just north of Martin. The plot number is 2A-13-32-5W. Surrounding Flo’s grave are the graves of her parents, grandparents, and, at least, one sibling.