Rosa Sullivan

Rosa Sullivan was born in Ireland in 1852 and married Canadian Ralph Wesley Sullivan before 1880 who owned Centennial State Laundry in Leadville. There, Rosa worked hard as a laundress and when she was not doing work there, she worked as a waitress and dishwasher at an unknown restaurant. Mrs. Sullivan had an abusive relationship with her husband, as it has been documented that they would have frequent verbal fights and a neighbor claimed she was frequently beaten. It has been reported that much of the money she saved would be taken by her husband to spend on alcohol. On May 4th of 1892, Rosa was found dead in her nightgown after being brutally beaten by her husband. Though few details of her life are documented, Rosa’s story is an important one that highlights the domestic abuse many women endured during this time. She will be remembered for the hard labor she was in trying to provide for herself and her household. Ralph Wesley Sullivan only served 8 years for the murder he committed.