Lillian E. Shepard Bowers

Sometimes, when you (and I hate this phrase) fall down the rabbit hole, who can't just stop with the search for one person. My most recent post on Jason G. Shepard brought me to a previously unknown daughter- Lillian Estelle (or Estella), who is a local heroine in her own right. (My apologies for making you wait so long for her story!)

Lillian was born on March 10, 1869 in West Hartford, CT and by the time she was 7 years old, her father had disappeared with an arrest warrant hanging over him for forgery. It seems that in the 1880 census, Lillian may have been living with maternal relatives in West Hartford. Unfortunately, there is little information about her life available until her marriage. This is generally true for many women in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the (almost complete) loss of the 1890 census will always be a barrier to research. Men's accomplishments are highly touted, while women's are often in the guise of  "Mrs. Husband's First and Last Name".

In 1892, Lillian graduated from Smith College in Northampton, MA. 

On May 12, 1897, Lillian married Herbert O. Bowers, who would go on to be a judge in the Manchester area. They would have two sons, Sherwood and Raymond, one of whom would become the mayor of Manchester in the 1950s.

In the summer of 1902, Lillian and her husband spent a week at the White Beach House (see below) and must have immediately left on an "extended tour through Canada" for two weeks. The couple seems to have traveled extensively, as they also toured the Gulf of Mexico

The White Beach House, a beautiful coastal Connecticut hotel.

The S.S. Stephano, upon which the Bowers toured the Gulf of Mexico. From CardCow.com

Lillian was an educated woman, and as such was part of many different clubs and organizations. She was the President of the Cosmopolitan Club of South Manchester, which hosted a number of meetings discussing the history of Connecticut. She is even listed as the leader of the Life, Love, and Truth Society in the 1927 Who's Who In Occultism: New Thought Psychism and Spiritualism.

 

Later, she became the Secretary of the Board of Education and the Director of the local library. She is best known for her chairmanship of the Manchester School Board and the Bowers School, which memorializes both Lillian and her husband Herbert's deep interest in education.

 

After a full life, Lillian passed away in 1954 and is buried beside her husband in the Buckland Cemetery in Manchester, CT. Bowers School is located at 141 Princeton Street.

 

I would love to fill in more of Lillian's life, but I don't have access to the Hartford Courant from 1922-1992, during which much of Lillian's career took place! I hope to be able learn more about her.