Flora Louise Black

1911 – 1996
A Woman Who Lived Life on Her Own Terms

Early Life in Indianapolis (1911–1929)

Flora Louise Black made her entrance into the world on 18 March 1911 in Indianapolis, Indiana, the daughter of Albert Cornelius Black and Katherine A. Mack. Her father worked as a packer, her mother kept the home lively, and Flora grew up at 1441 W. 36th Street with her siblings—Albert “Bud,” Sarah “Nonie,” and Richard.

By the time of the 1920 census, young Flora was already reading, writing, and making her way through school, part of a bustling household that included her Aunt Ruth Oliver. The house must have been full of laughter, squabbles, and stories—the perfect training ground for a girl who would one day collect plenty of her own.

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Marriage and Motherhood (1930–1940)

On 4 January 1930, at just 18 years old, Flora married Lester Otis Oliver. They set up a home in Indianapolis, first on East 11th Street, and by 1934 were raising a family of their own.

• Gloria, their first daughter, was born around 1931.
• Sylvia Faye followed in 1932.
• Lloyd Lester, their only son, arrived in 1934.

Census records and city directories show Flora as a young homemaker in the thick of it—raising three children, moving through rented houses, and managing a life in the heart of a growing city.

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War Years and a Turning Point (1940–1950)

By 1940, the Olivers lived on East 23rd Street. Flora had finished high school, though she wasn’t working outside the home. Lester registered for the WWII draft, working at the Indianapolis Glove Company.

But change was brewing. By 1945, Flora herself applied for a marriage license in Marion County. The details remain hazy, but the records suggest her story with Lester was winding down.

By the 1950 census, Flora was in Mobile, Alabama, a divorced woman supporting her family as an office worker in a heater factory. She lived in a mobile home with her daughter Faye, her sister Sarah, and Sarah’s two young girls. Independent, resilient, and resourceful—Flora was determined to carve her own path.

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A Life of Reinvention (1950–1996)

Flo didn’t slow down. She moved, she worked, she married again—perhaps more than once. (Family lore suggests five to seven marriages, though no one has pinned down the exact number yet!) What we know is this:

• In 1974, she legally changed her name to Flora Louise Olcott—reclaiming her “Flo” luggage tags and her independence with characteristic flair.
• She built a career as a secretary in an insurance company.
• She traveled alone, fearlessly making trips from Florida to Indiana to visit family.
• She journaled her life, year after year—an entire personal history waiting to be rediscovered.

Flo passed away on 5 January 1996, leaving behind not just children and grandchildren but a reputation as a woman who lived boldly, spoke her mind, and carried her faith proudly. She rests in Jacksonville Memory Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida.

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Remembering Flo

Flo’s family remembers her best in stories:

• Her driving style was legendary. Stopped at a red light, she would declare, “My turn!” and pull out into traffic. Maps were consulted in the middle of intersections. Seatbelts, no doubt, were optional.
• She loved cheesecake trips to the mall and Woolworth cafeterias with her granddaughter.
• She was outspoken in her faith, strong in her convictions, and admired by the young women in her family for living with independence at a time when few women did.

As her granddaughter Karen put it: “She was a strong and outspoken Christian lady. I admired her greatly. She was one of the first women I knew who traveled alone and lived independently. I looked up to her courage.“

Karen shared the following:

Flo was a grandmother of mine, one whom I admired greatly. As a young girl in the 1950s and 60s, I did not know women who were independent. That she traveled alone from Florida to Indiana for annual visits was amazing. I looked up to her courage. She was a secretary for an insurance company, and she journaled every year of her life. I never got to read those journals, but I would love to know where they are. 

As Flora Louise Oliver, her luggage tags said “Flo”.  Many years later, after other marriages, she changed her last name to Olcott so her luggage tags would again correctly read “Flo”.   We always heard she had been married 5 – 7 times, but I can’t verify that. 

Yes, she did have some interesting driving habits. She said, “My turn,” proceeded through an intersection, and stopped in the middle of the road to check her map. 

I looked forward to our time together, especially when she took me to Woolworth cafeterias or the Glendale Mall for cheesecake.  She was a strong and outspoken Christian lady. ~Karen

🚦 “My turn!”
That was Flo’s way of handling traffic lights—and, truth be told, life itself. If you’ve got a favorite story about Flora Louise Black—whether it’s her fearless driving, her many reinventions, or those cheesecake trips to the mall—pop over to her Intro Page and share it with us. After all, Flo never stayed quiet… why should her stories?

That’s all for now, take care!

~Kris

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Revisited by Bones

Flo is the kind of ancestor who refuses to fade quietly into the background. She was vibrant, fiery, and unafraid to reinvent herself—even if that meant a new name, a new home, or a new husband. She left behind laughter, journals, and stories that still make us smile today.

If you have a memory of Flora Louise Black—whether it’s her fearless driving, her travels, or her words of wisdom—please share it. Her story is one best told by all who knew her.