Amy Duggan married James Archer in 1897. A daughter, Mary J. Archer, was born in December 1897. The Archers first became caretakers in 1901, hired to care for John Seymour, an elderly widower. They moved into his home in Newington, Connecticut. Seymour died in 1904. His heirs converted the residence into a boarding house for the elderly, and the Archers remained to provide care for the elderly for a fee. They paid rent to Seymour's family. They ran the boarding house as Sister Amy's Nursing Home for the Elderly.