The Dream
For a number of years Colin Vaughan Morgan, of Llanelli, had researched the life of his great, great, aunt Katurah from Llandefaelog, Carmarthenshire. He knew she had become a Mormon and had left for the Great Salt Lake Valley in Utah in 1849. But what had become of her?
In his research he discovered how she travelled there, with whom she travelled, and the many varied and horrific experiences she had during her epic journey.
As very few photographs were available, except for one or two from her latter years, he resorted to historical books which illustrated exactly the type of sailing ships and steamers she would have boarded, the conditions that would have existed on them, and the wagon trains that were a vital means of transport.
But his research told him also how long it took her to get to her ultimate destination.
A superb photographer he photographed the relevant drawings and pictures transforming them into a fascinating slide programme which kept every audience mesmerised, and he gave this presentation to at least 20 organisations. This, then is her story!
Katurah Vaughan was born in October 1827 at T'yr Cwm farm, Llandyfaelog, then later moved with her family to Maesllanfach, a small farm at Llangyndeirn. She was one of nine children and life was typically hard.
Totally uneducated, not even able to write her own name or speak a word of English, it was her responsibility to look after the younger children, help with work on the farm and assist in the home.
The only future then for a very young girl in a large family was to go into service to relieve the burden on her parents. So in her early teens she went into service with the local dignitary, Squire Saunders.
After a few years she became acquainted with a young man called William Jones. They began courting and it was when Katurah was 20 that she and William first came into contact with the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, otherwise known as Mormons.
The missionaries had been at work in Wales since 1840, and William and Katurah were so impressed by their message that they were both baptised into the Mormon faith, in spite of very strong opposition from family and enmity from friends.
Two years later, in November 1848, they were married, and three months after that made a decision that was to have a devastating effect on both their lives - to make the epic journey to the Great Salt Lake Valley.
Pamela G Morgan
Katurah's Story - Part Two
