Kathryn Petersen Colton

Winds of Change: the Story of a Pioneer Woman Kathryn Petersen Colton

Doris is the daughter of a Danish king. Her early years are lived close to the castle in Kiel. As Doris grows older she finds a new life of her own. A message shared with Doris by Mormon missionaries changes the course of her life forever. Along with her husband, Hans Petersen, Doris and her family leave their beloved homeland of Denmark and become part of the migration of Mormon pioneers in the 1860's, across the interior of North America. Arriving in Utah, they travel north to a newly developing settlement in Hyrum. Surviving harsh winters, grasshopper infestations, disappointment and loss, Doris accepts an assignment to train and serve as a midwife. With relentless courage and tireless energy, Doris attends to her duties. She not only delivers babies and cares for the new mothers, but often the care extends to entire households. Doris' life draws a dramatic contrast between the comfortable life left behind in the old country of Denmark and the challenges and sacrifices she faced as she became part of the Mormon pioneering movement which helped to open up the American West.