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Dr. D.L Bolton has served the Picayune area prac- ticing medicine for many decades. Those decades of service have touched many lives, changed many individuals and families, and influenced countless others. It was almost all for naught if not for some events, some fate, and some definite intervention by God. In the end, those events led to many wonder- ful outcomes for the people of Picayune. Let’s dive into what brought D. L. Bolton to Picayune, what kept him here, and what drives his work today. While D.L. was in pharmacy school at Ole Miss in 1955, at the urging of his brother, D.L. decided to en- roll in pre-medical at L.S.U. He would begin med- ical school at L.S.U. in New Orleans in 1957 and graduated in 1961. D.L. explained how he ended up at Ole Miss despite being a Louisiana resident. “At the time, the out-of-state tuition to attend college at Ole Miss was less expensive than attending Loy- ola University and enrolling its pharmacy school. I did my first year of prerequisites at L.S.U., then went to Ole Miss for one year with my intention to become a pharmacist, before deciding to go to medical school, which is how I ended up at L.S.U.,” he said. For many, the next step from L.S.U. was Charity Hospital in New Orleans, but with the pay at that medical facility being just $10.00 per month, it was not enough to survive for D.L. with a wife and a young child. He opted to take an internship at Macon Hospital in Macon, GA, which turned out to be a good choice. D.L. then went into the U.S. Air Force for two years where he was a flight surgeon. In 1964, Dr. Bolton started practicing medicine in Brandon, MS, and was there for three months, when he became aware of a position in Picayune. Dr. Bolton was born in Franklinton, LA, but Bolton had never been to Picayune. Let’s pause for a moment and fill in a few gaps in Dr. Bolton’s path to Picayune. Dr. Bolton’s father was the high school principal at nearby Mount Hermon High School. At one time, his father had rented a room to a lady name Lattice Sturtz. Ms. Sturtz was the director of nursing at Crosby Hospital in Picayune. “My uncle, my mother’s brother, passed away and Lattice attended the funeral. After the funeral, in conversation, she told my dad about an opening in Picayune,” Dr. Bolton shared. “My dad called me about what Ms. Sturtz had told him. He wanted us closer. I reached out to inquire about what was passed on to me, about the opening in Picayune.” Dr. Bolton and his family made the trip to Picayune to interview with Dr. D.C. Rudeen and hospital ad- ministrator Preston Hill about the opening which had come about due to a health issue with Dr. Bill Ocer at that time. “Mr. Hill was a very impressive guy and he decided I wanted to be associated with him,” Dr. Bolton said www.southernsenior.info 17 Fate & Faith: Dr. D.L. Bolton decided to stay By: Carey Meitzler