towards the end of her life, bardwell resided in greenfield, massachusetts with her sister. her sister died in 1895, leading to a long period of grief for bardwell who felt very close with her sister. seven years prior to her death, bardwell was diagnosed with a severe illness from which she never fully recovered.on may 27,1899, elisabeth bardwell died with one of her sisters by her side. in terms of her legacy, bardwell is remembered as being a large part in the idea of believing in god, yet still challenging and investigating what is accepted as true.the tributes read at her memorial included: