In 1821 she married Benjamin Rouse; they lived in Boston and New York before moving to Cleveland in 1830. As a member of the Ladies Tract Society, Rouse made personal visits to every home in the village. She was an original member of the First Baptist Society. In 1842, she founded and became president of the Martha Washington & Dorcas Society, one of the first benevolent organizations in the city, from which originated the Protestant Orphan Asylum, which she served for many years as director. Dedicated to reforming the baneful effects of alcohol, she helped organize the Cleveland Ladies Temperance Union in June 1850.