An account of his death appeared in the Grand Traverse Herald on 16 August 1883 (page 4, column 3):

Long Lake ..A fatal accident occurred to one of our friends on last Friday, at four o'clock p.m. Frank, and his brother Emmett Fillmore, were doing some repair work on the flume of Elijah Ransom's grist mill, when the center gates and timbers gave way and let a volume of 7 1/2 feet of water down upon them. A post 10 1/2 feet long and 10 inches square struck Frank on the right shoulder, breaking it, and dashed his head against the farther end of the flume, bruising it in a terrible manner, causing death, it is supposed, instantly, although his body was not taken out of the water for some 45 minutes after the first bursting through of the water, on account of the timber and trash covering him, and his body could not be seen until the water was all let off. Had it not been for the heroic efforts of E. Ransom, Emmet would also have drowned, as his foot was caught under one of the gates, and held his body firmly under the water, until life was pretty well extinct, but Mr. Ransom succeeded at the last moment, in drawing the body out, leaving his boot still fast. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. John Cook, at the friends' church yesterday, after which the body was buried in the cemetery close by. We desire to say a few words in memory of our beloved brother. He was in every sense of the term a true gentleman, being all his life a very moral boy, never known to participate in anything unbecoming a gentleman of the highest order. Was a dutiful son, a studious pupil, an affectionate associate, and last of all a warm-hearted christian, being converted last winter. He also gave his name to the officers of Rising Star lodge, of the I.O.G.T., and would have been initiated into membership on last Saturday night, had he lived. This order assisted in the funeral ceremonies. As he was the stay and support of his aged parents, their loss will be very great.