Rosa's Cousins - Irene Chase

Rosa's cousin Irene makes me sad. Irene was born about 1863 (the same year Rosa was born) in Ashtabula County Ohio to James and Sarah (Chase) Chase. Sarah was the oldest sister of Rosa's mother Lucy Jane. It makes research a little harder when someone named Chase marries someone else named Chase.

Irene only appeared on one census, 1870, in Dorset, Ashtabula County. She was 7 years old in the household of her parents James and Sarah along with her older brother Eugene, age 17, and an older woman, Esther Hance, age 70. Some researchers have assumed that Esther was the mother of Sarah, so have listed Sarah's surname as Hance. However we have the marriage information for James Chase and Sarah Chase from Connecticut.

Irene died just 8 years later, 5 Jul 1878, and was buried at Dorset Cemetery. I always find it sad when children die as teenagers. But I feel her death more keenly because among our family papers is a letter Irene wrote to Rosa about a year before, 29 Jul 1877. I will quote my transcription of her letter.

Dear Cousin Rosa,

I received your letter day before yesterday and was very glad to hear from you. Jennie Peters stayed with me last night she got a letter from you yesterday. We are pretty well at present and hope these few lines will find you the same. Gene [Eugene] took Hatt [his wife Harriett] up to her folkes yesterday to stay a week or so, so we are all alone. I have got a little niece, she will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. she weighes 10 3/4 lbs. I will send you one of my pictures just as soon as I have some taken you send one of yours in your next letter and I will send one of mine as soon as I can get some taken. Aunt Mary Chase says that you & I look enough alike to be sisters. I am 5 feet and 6 inches tall and weigh about 115. I went to a partie week ago Saturday night and to one last Tuesday night and I am a going to one next Thursday. I wish you was out here. I have got a new white dress and a calico one. I will send a piece of each. We got a letter from Aunt Emily Anderson the same time we got yours stating that Grandpa Chase was dead. We have got our wheat and grass and part of our oats cut. We had good crops. The grasshoppers are trying to eat our oats all up The grasshoppers are very thick here. have you got any out there. my school is out it was out a week ago last Saturday. I got the prize for being there the most days and whispering the less time, the prize was a silver napkin ring with my first name printed on it. I is very nice. You wanted to know where I went the fourth. I stayed at home in the forenoon and went over to Jennie Peterses in the afternoon. Well, I must close for the time, write soon as you get this. I thank you ever so much for your card, please send your picture you shall have one in return as soon as I can get some. I am a goin to go to singing school. It commences a week from next Tuesday. Write soon.

Yours Truly Irene J. Chase

Dorset, Ohio