MaeOla Bolton was born into a family destined for greatness. After all, her sister is Olympic Gold Medalist Ruthie Bolton. MaeOla is the 15th of 20 children and the daughter of a Baptist minister from Mississippi, nearly everyone in their small town of McLain (current population, 1,800) knew MaeOla and her siblings. At their family church, the Boltons not only ran the show, they were the show. The children made up the choir and their father led the sermons. The Bolton family was a staple and symbol of pride in their community.