FRANKLIN
Florencia de Luna Solis Province was born December 4, 1955, in El Maguey, Jalisco, Mexico to Fortino de Luna Gamboa and Alberta Solis Dorado. She was the fourth of twelve children.
Flor’s family lived in a two-room dirt-floor home on a farm where faith, humility, love, and hard work were nurtured. Each day she would walk 3 km to the local creek to collect water for her family. She enjoyed hunting with her father, but her biggest passion was learning. She attended the only school in the community—a one room schoolhouse. She hungered to learn so much that she would listen to the lessons for the older students. In 1967, with aspirations for a better future and more opportunities for education, her family moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, the second largest city in Mexico.
Life in the big city had its challenges as well. When Flor started school, the other children made fun of the homemade huarache sandals and pigtail braids that signaled to all that she had just moved from the country. Upon the completion of the sixth grade, she found work to contribute to the family’s income. She ensured that her younger siblings had a nice pair of shoes to wear to school.
While working at the dry cleaners, she met her future husband, William D. Province II, who was studying medicine in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was not love at first sight for Flor. Bill was persistent in his attempts to gain her affection. He finally won her over and they were married in the Catholic Church on April 10,1976. Later, that year she was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ to Latter-day Saints. They were sealed for time and all eternity in the Washington DC temple on November 25, 1977.
While Bill finished medical school rotations at St. Vincent Hospital Indianapolis, Flor immersed herself in learning English, earning her GED, and obtaining her driver’s license. She was a life-long learner and later taught herself US history, law, personal finance, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, furniture restoration, and much more. They moved to Youngstown, Ohio, where Bill completed his internship and residency in internal medicine. While in Youngstown, she obtained her US citizenship, which she declared was the greatest day in her life. Her oldest child, William Ditmars Province III was born in 1979.
They returned to Franklin in 1981, where they raised their children and served in their community. Her daughter, Cristina, was born in 1982. Flor was an interpreter for the Pan Am Games in 1985. She was a designated interpreter in the Johnson County court system, and later was an English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) teacher at Franklin Community High School. She opened her home as a gathering place for countless youth and families, both locally and from abroad.
She was active in her church work serving as a Primary teacher, ward Primary (children’s organization) president, ward Young Women’s president, Stake Young Women’s presidency, stake Relief Society (women’s organization) president, and a temple worker in the Louisville, Kentucky, Indianapolis, Indiana, Guatemala City, Guatemala and Lima, Peru temples.
Upon Bill’s retirement, they served in Central America on a humanitarian mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2014-2016. She also taught English at a local vocational school in Guatemala City, Guatemala. They returned to Franklin and enjoyed grandchildren for a year before serving a twelve-month humanitarian mission in Lima, Peru.
In February 2021, Florencia was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and was given a prognosis of six months. However, Florencia, being the very determined person that she always has been, fought valiantly.
Her parents and two sisters, Ana Maria Garcia and Guadalupe Robles, preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband, William Ditmars Province II, MD; a son, William Ditmars Province III, MD, MBA (Allison), a daughter, Cristina Province Houghtaling (Austin), and honorary son, H. David Orton (Dana); her eight grandchildren: William J. Province, Oliver W. Province, Lillian B. Province, Samuel H. Province, D. Chandler Province, Taggart W. Houghtaling, Lillian J. Houghtaling, and Anna L. Houghtaling; her siblings: Zenaida de Luna (Paco), Leopoldina de Luna Orton, Luis Manuel de Luna (Soledad), Hildelisa Arcos, Maria Roselia Skeem, Simon Federico de Luna (Christy), Jorge Irineo de Luna (Amelia), Cesar Cesario de Luna (Wendy), and Bertha Jovita Mark (Ken).
Visitation for family and friends will be Friday, May 24, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints, 201 Eastview Drive, Franklin, Indiana 46131 with a service beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the Church. Burial will be at Greenlawn Cemetery. Flinn and Maguire Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Expressions of caring and kindness may be made to the family at www.flinnmaguire.net.
