The funeral of little Frances Smith, aged ten years, was held at the house at 10 o’clock last Saturday morning, Rev. A. L. Ogden officiating. Owing to the nature of the disease, meningitis, the services were held outside on the porch, the family being within. A quartette sang the hymns in the open air and the service seemed unusually sad for the strangeness. Frances was a sweet girl, of a pleasant disposition, and it was hard indeed to let such a child go out so suddenly from the bosom of the family. The sweet memory of her life and love will remain to bless the home and all who knew her.

#2- 6 Oct., 1909 - The Tribune -Frances Smith

Francis Smith, aged 9 years and 10 months, died at 3:50 Thursday afternoon from an attack of spinal meningitis. The little girl had been complaining for several days, but was not taken bad until Thursday morning. The funeral services were held from the home at 10 o’clock Saturday morning. Francis was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Smith, and her untimely death is mourned by many friends who sympathize with the family in their sad bereavement.

#3-7 Oct, 1909 - Blair Democrat - Frances Smith

A VICTIM OF POLIO-MYELITIS

Little Frances Smith, the ten year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Smith, died very suddenly last Thursday afternoon from polio-myelitis after being sick only about twenty four hours. The child did not feel well last Friday, but went to school, and on Monday went to school until noon when she again complained to her mother of not feeling well, and she was allowed to remain at home. She played around the house and ate well until Wednesday evening when she was taken worse and put to bed. Physicians were summoned, but death claimed the little one during the afternoon of Thursday.

The funeral was not held until Saturday morning, owing to the absence of Mr. Smith, who was up at Whitten, So. Dakota. Polio-myelitis is a new disease that is puzzling the physicians and there seems to be an epidemic going across the country. Many deaths have been reported from it over the state, the fifteen year old daughter of Ross Hammond, editor of the Fremont Tribune, having died from it last week. Omaha also has its share and you can hardly pick up a daily paper without reading of a death or two from this malady.

In many places the authorities are quarantining against the disease as a precautionary measure, but whether it is of a catching nature or not has not yet been decided. Where a victim of the disease does recover from the malady, it usually leaves them with paralyzed limbs.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

Note: Her father, Thomas Franklin Smith's Find a Grave Memorial # is 53723819 and her mother, Alice May Smith's # is 53723774. The Vig notes at the Danish American Archives has Frances buried in the Blair Cemetery in Block 9 Lot 4 Space 7.