In the swirling mists of Colorado's Gilded Age, the name Tabor resonated with both wealth and whispered scandal. While Silver Dollar Tabor, or Rose Mary Echo as she was christened, danced her way into legend, her sister, Lily Tabor, lived a life cast in a starkly different light. For readers of Silver Echoes, understanding Lily Tabor is crucial to grasping the complex tapestry of the Tabor family.
Lily, born Elizabeth Bonduel Lily Tabor, shared the same illustrious, and ultimately tragic, parentage as Silver Dollar. She was the daughter of the silver magnate Horace Tabor and the enigmatic Elizabeth "Baby Doe" McCourt Tabor. Yet, the sisters' paths diverged sharply, creating a chasm that would define their relationship.
Lily Leaves Colorado
One of the most defining moments in Lily's life was her decision to leave her mother, Baby Doe, and her young sister, Silver Dollar, to live with relatives in Milwaukee – the Last family. This move signaled a clear break from the tumultuous environment of her childhood, marking a desire for a more stable and conventional life. This decision clearly shows the deep family issues that were present.
Adding another layer of complexity to her life, Lily married her cousin, John Last. This union resulted in children, further distancing her from the public spectacle that defined her sister's existence. She chose a life of relative obscurity, building a family far removed from the silver mines and societal dramas of her youth.
The starkness of the sisters' separation was made painfully clear upon Silver Dollar's passing. When news of Silver Dollar's death reached Lily, she offered a chillingly detached response to newspaper reporters. Accounts indicate she said something to the effect of, "She made her own bed, now she has to lie in it." This coldness was a testament to the fractured bonds of sisterhood and the deep-seated resentment that had grown between them. The differences in their outlooks on life created a divide that was never bridged.
Lily's own life came to a quiet, almost anonymous end. She passed away on September 15, 1946, from pneumonia at Milwaukee County Emergency Hospital. There was no grand funeral, no public display of mourning. Her departure was as understated as her life had become.
The tragedy is compounded by Baby Doe's knowledge that she had lost Lily. This information creates a somber tone for the entire family.
Why this estrangement?
What shadows haunted Lily, driving her away from her sister and her past? These are questions that linger, adding layers of intrigue to the world of "Silver Echoes." Lily Tabor's story is not merely a footnote in history; it's a poignant reminder of the complexities that lie beneath the surface of even the most glamorous legends. It is a story of how two people from the same family can be so different.
As we delve deeper into the narrative of "Silver Echoes," remember the shadow of Lily Tabor, a silent echo of a life lived in stark contrast to her sister's dazzling, yet ultimately tragic, journey. Her story serves as a reminder that behind every gilded facade, there are hidden depths of human experience, often marked by heartbreak and estrangement, even within the closest of familial ties.
Read about the Tabor family in Gold Digger and Silver Echoes, available now.
GOLD DIGGER and SILVER ECHOES by historical novelist Rebecca Rosenberg are available now at Amazon
