Historical records provide a different perspective on some of Ogden's most famous ghost legends, according to a report published October 20. While local folklore often attributes hauntings to various figures, the actual histories of Florence Granger, Frank Yentzer, and Frances Williams reveal distinct and tragic circumstances.
Florence Granger, whose grave in the Ogden City Cemetery is a center for local legend, died at age 15 on Dec. 29, 1918. While legends claim she was struck by a car, historical records show she died after becoming ill with the Spanish Influenza pandemic. She contracted the virus from a tenant staying with her aunt and uncle, Edna and Joe, and later developed endocarditis. She was buried two days after her death.
At the Museums at Union Station, legends involve Frank Yentzer, a ticket taker who died on Feb. 26, 1923. While stories suggest his spirit walks the halls, his death was caused by a construction accident. A 250-pound piece of sandstone was dislodged from a roof being repaired and fell approximately 50 feet through a skylight, striking the 32-year-old Yentzer. He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died before reaching a hospital. He was buried in Ottawa, Illinois, leaving behind a wife and two children.
The folklore surrounding Union Station also includes Frances Williams, whose death was linked to a 1913 crime. On June 24, 1913, her mother, Minnie Ekman, was arrested after Frances's body was discovered in a steamer trunk shipped from Salt Lake City to Ogden. Minnie claimed she had attempted to chloroform both herself and her daughter. Investigators eventually determined that Minnie's second ex-husband, Mr. Anderson, did not participate in the death. Minnie was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a state mental hospital in Provo.
These historical accounts demonstrate how local legends can evolve over generations. While the stories of these three individuals have become part of Ogden's folklore, the historical records offer a way to look past the myths to the real people and events behind them.
