The “52 Cousins” series of biographical sketches are Artificial Intelligence (AI) compiled narratives of selected individuals from my Genealogical database. The selected AI will used the RootsMagic Individual Summary from my Genealogical Software, Roots Magic. All genealogical data is my research material acquired over the past 46 years of research. Today's Biography of Dr. David Richard Perkins Sr. (1878-1930) was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:
"Remembering Dr. David Richard Perkins Sr.: Country Doctor and Family Man"
Early Life and Family Background
David Richard Perkins was born on June 2, 1878, in Chesterfield, South Carolina, the son of James Franklin Perkins (1836-1910) and Margaret Emeline "Aunt Mag" Davis (1840-1926). David grew up in a large, bustling household near the Chesterfield Court House, where his father worked as a farmer. The 1880 census shows young David, affectionately called "D.R." by those who knew him, as a curious three-year-old boy surrounded by numerous siblings in the family farmhouse.
His father James had been born in Virginia but made his home in South Carolina, while his mother Margaret was a South Carolina native through and through. David grew up with a houseful of brothers and sisters, including William A., Julia, Margaret, Julia B., Mary T., Eliza J., John D., James E., and C. Virginia. By 1900, when David was 22, he was still living at home with his parents, who had been married an impressive 45 years and had raised 14 children, with 12 still living.
David would maintain close ties with his siblings throughout his life. His brothers John, Bascom, and Bill eventually settled in Douglas, Georgia, while his sisters scattered across the South—Mrs. George Rivers in Chesterfield, South Carolina; Mrs. L. L. Shaw in Defuniak Springs, Florida; Mrs. Irish Jones in Cullowhee, Georgia; Mrs. Adelia Duncan in Douglas, Georgia; Mrs. C. A. Lawson in Wadesboro, North Carolina; and Mrs. Minnie Horton in McBee, South Carolina.
Education and Professional Training
Young David received his early education at the high schools of Chesterfield County, where he proved himself to be a dedicated and bright student. His academic excellence and desire to help others led him to pursue medicine, and he enrolled at Baltimore Medical College in Maryland. According to local newspapers, he was "the best read member of his class" during his time at medical school—quite an accomplishment that spoke to his intelligence and work ethic. He graduated from Baltimore Medical College in 1903, around the age of 25, and immediately obtained his medical license to practice.
Marriage and Family
On June 5, 1904, at age 26, David married M. Arlena "Lena" Sturdivant (1882-1942) in Union County, North Carolina. Lena was 22 years old at the time, the daughter of James N. Sturdivant and Josephine Sturdivant.
The couple would build a loving family together, raising six children:
George Oscar Perkins (1905-1985)
Selma F. Perkins (1906-1985)
Bascom Wheeler Perkins (1908-1973)
David Richard Perkins Jr. (1914-1989)
James Norris Perkins (1917-1991)
Ney Barrett Perkins (1920-1992)
By the 1910 census, the young family was living with Lena's father in Lanes Creek township. The household was lively with three small children—Oscar (5), Selma (3), and baby Bascom, who was just over a year old. The 1920 census shows the family had grown to include five children at home, and by 1930, all six children were part of the household, ranging from young Ney at age 9 to Selma at 23.
Medical Practice in Lanes Creek Township (1903-1910)
After securing his medical license, Dr. Perkins began his professional career in Lanes Creek township, Union County, North Carolina. For seven years, he served the rural community with dedication and skill, building what was described as "a splendid practice." He was noted as being "very successful in his work" during these formative years as a physician. The local newspaper praised him as "a young man of fine character" who had established himself well in the community.
During this time, he was building not just his medical practice but also his young family, as his first three children were born while the family resided in Lanes Creek. The community came to know him as a skilled and compassionate doctor who combined medical expertise with genuine care for his patients.
Moving to Marshville (1910)
In the summer of 1910, Dr. Perkins made a significant decision that would shape the rest of his life and career. He moved his family to the town of Marshville, arriving around August 1, 1910, to establish his medical practice there. The Monroe Journal announced the move, welcoming him warmly: "We are glad to welcome Dr. Perkins to our town." The newspaper noted his excellent education and character, mentioning he was "the best read member of his class while in the medical college at Baltimore."
The move to Marshville proved to be both professionally and personally rewarding. Dr. Perkins quickly built up "a fine practice" and became not only prominent in his profession but also "a leader in the work of advancing civilizing influences" in the community. He was described as "a man of high character, intelligence and probity—full of benevolence for the people; appreciative sympathy for the worthy needy, and for all kind and earnest words to those who strive."
Professional Life and Community Standing
Dr. Perkins established his medical office in a wooden building between Harrell Brothers Company's store and the Bank of Marshville in the heart of town. He maintained his office there with furniture and a stock of medicines, ready to answer calls day or night. His practice flourished, and he became known throughout Union County as a dedicated general practitioner.
In February 1918, during a meningitis outbreak, Dr. Perkins treated Lem Jordan, son of W. T. Jordan of south Marshville, consulting with Dr. Armfield several times on the serious case. A trained nurse, Miss Mary Bowman, assisted with the around-the-clock care, and thankfully the young man recovered. This case demonstrates the collaborative nature of rural medical practice and Dr. Perkins's commitment to his patients' wellbeing.
Tragically, in December 1911, fire struck Marshville between midnight and 1 o'clock in the morning. The blaze destroyed the wooden buildings where Dr. Perkins had his office, along with C. L. Gulledge's grocery. Nothing was saved from the buildings. Dr. Perkins lost all his office furniture and his small stock of medicine in the fire, which originated near a stove flue. Despite this setback, he rebuilt his practice and continued serving the community.
World War I Era
During World War I, Dr. Perkins registered for the draft in 1917-1918 at age 39. His draft registration card described him as having a medium build and medium height, with dark hair and brown eyes. His wife Lena was listed as his nearest relative. While there's no indication he served overseas, the war years brought their own challenges to rural medical practice, with influenza and other illnesses affecting communities across North Carolina.
By October 1919, times were good enough that Dr. Perkins purchased a new touring car—quite a modern convenience that would have made his house calls much more comfortable and allowed him to reach patients more quickly across the rural roads of Union County.
Final Years and Death
In his final years, Dr. Perkins continued his devoted service to the Marshville community. The 1930 census, taken just months before his death, shows him at age 51 living with Lena and five of their children still at home. However, his health began to decline, and he suffered from what was described as "a lingering illness of many weeks."
Dr. David Richard Perkins died on November 12, 1930, in Monroe, North Carolina, at the age of 52. His death certificate listed the cause as carcinoma of the small intestines—cancer that had taken its toll over time. His son Oscar served as the informant on the death certificate.
Funeral services were conducted at the family home on November 13, 1930, followed by burial in Marshville City Cemetery. He was survived by his widow Lena, their five sons (Oscar, Bascom, David Jr., Norris, and Ney), and daughter Selma, as well as his three brothers and six sisters scattered across the South.
The community mourned the loss of a physician who had served them faithfully for nearly three decades. His obituary in The Charlotte News noted that he had "graduated from the Baltimore Medical College about 28 years ago and began practice in this county soon after," dedicating his entire professional life to the people of Union County.
Life as a Rural Family Physician in North Carolina (1900-1930)
Being a family physician in rural North Carolina during Dr. Perkins's era meant living a life of constant availability and deep community connection. Country doctors like Dr. Perkins were on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, traveling dusty roads by horse and buggy in the early years and later by automobile—like the touring car Dr. Perkins proudly purchased in 1919—to reach patients scattered across farms and small communities.
These physicians treated everything from childhood illnesses and injuries to delivering babies, setting broken bones, and managing chronic conditions, often with limited resources and no backup. They worked in an era before antibiotics, so infections that would be easily treated today could be life-threatening. The 1918 influenza pandemic would have tested every rural doctor's skills and endurance. Doctors frequently consulted with one another on difficult cases, as Dr. Perkins did with Dr. Armfield during the meningitis case, since they couldn't simply refer patients to specialists in distant cities.
The financial reality was challenging too—many patients paid with produce, livestock, or promised payment "when the crops came in." Yet these doctors were pillars of their communities, respected not just for their medical knowledge but for their character and compassion. They knew their patients' families for generations, celebrated births, mourned deaths, and carried the weight of being one of the few people with any medical training for miles around. Dr. Perkins embodied this tradition of service, building relationships that lasted decades and earning a reputation as a man of "high character, intelligence and probity" who showed "benevolence for the people" and "appreciative sympathy for the worthy needy." His nearly thirty years of dedicated practice represented the very best of rural medicine in an era when being a country doctor was as much a calling as a profession.
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