Sarah Sprague, widow of William Sprague
"Grandma Sprague - Mother of Emily Sprague Riley”
Found a US Census record for this woman based on the information in the inscription on the back. By 1870 she was widowed, and the daughter Emily referenced in the inscription was a young adult still living with her, along with another woman and a young child.
Census and other records in Marion Co. indicate that this woman was born about 1808, was once the wife of William Sprague, was widowed by 1850, lived independently for decades and worked as a farm manager, raised at least three children alone after the death of her husband, and lived into her 70s. .
1870 Census - Ohio, Marion Co., Montgomery Twp. - LaRue PO: Sarah Sprague, age 63, born in OH; with daughter Emily, age 24; and Sarah Ball, age 32 (relationship unspecified); with Ann Ball, age 7 (likely Sarah Ball's daughter). Searching back, we found an 1860 Census record for this woman as head of a family with Emily and a younger brother William H. Sarah was employed as a "farm manager." In the 1850 Census she was also head of her household, with Emily and William and an older daughter Sarah E. As of the 1880 Census, Sarah and daughter Emily were living along together - Sarah was 72 and Emily was 35. A family tree on ancestry.com indicated that her husband was William Sprague, that he died in 1850, and that by then the couple had had several other children, some of whom did not survive childhood.