THE ROAD TO AMERICA
Terri Hackett
Chronicle-Herald
July 26, 2011
Missouri
David Doctorian knew God was leading him, he just didn’t know where
Macon, Mo – Seeing the big picture of ones life is not generally
visible until we have aged, or enough time passes and circumstances
become more clear. David Doctorian of Macon, now understands more
about why situations happened in his life, and feels God was totally
in control the entire time. With such a fascinating life, that was
full of twists and turns, David’s family felt he needed to write a
book. So after giving it some thought and prayer…he did.
David was born to Armenian parents who became orphans when they were
young. His grandparents refused to convert to the Islamic religion and
were executed for their faith during the Armenian Genocide. David’s
father, Paul, was rounded up with other women and children of the
village and forced to walk through the Syrian Desert. A Turkish
soldier recognized him as the son of a doctor who had cared for his
own family and he was pulled from the group. After one bad situation
to another he was taken to an orphanage in Beirut, Lebanon. David’s
mother experienced a similar story, also being rescued by a Turkish
soldier and taken to the same orphanage as his father. There is where
they met, grew up together and later married and lived in Beirut. They
later moved to Tyre, along the Mediterranean Coast. The couple had
four boys and two daughters.
In David’s book entitled, “My Life Journey – From the Streets of
Jerusalem to the Halls of the Missouri Senate,” he tells about
having to drop out of school due to the lack of money, having an
opportunity to go back to school thanks to a gentlemen that paid his
way to the many experiences he had coming to America, and his life
in a free country.
He expresses numerous times how blessed he feels living in America,
and the opportunities that are available for anyone.
One of his greatest accomplishments he says is getting his entire
family to America.
He has acquired several college degrees, worked in politics for 14
years, taught high school and college classes, and witnessed his
children achieve their own personnel accomplishments, but remains
humble knowing what things would have been like if he would have
remained in the Middle East.
He travels 40 miles one way to preach at the Plevna Christian Church
and has done so since 1974.
Today, David and his wife, Phyllis, still reside on their farm north
of Macon. In June 2009, it was discovered David had a very large brain
tumor. After a 5 1/2 hour operation the tumor was successfully removed,
and chemotherapy and radiation treatments were not needed.
The recent medical condition motivated David in writing his book for
his children and grandchildren.
“I love my adopted country, the United States of America,” he writes.
“I sincerely appreciate the freedoms and the opportunities the United
States of America has given me since my arrival in New York Harbor
on Oct. 17, 1954.
David Doctorian’s book, “My Life Journey – From the Streets of
Jerusalem to the Halls of the Missouri Senate,” may be found at Special
Days in Macon and Admired Evergreen, located south of Kirksville on
Hwy. 63.