White Hall’s Ferrell among OBU honorees
To friends and family members, the announcement of Suzanne Ferrell’s Alumni Milestone Award at Ouachita Baptist University wasn’t surprising.
She was one of 10 OBU alumni honorees. The 2021 recipients were recognized recently during the homecoming football game halftime festivities held at OBU’s Cliff Harris Stadium in Arkadelphia.
Ferrell was recruited to play basketball as a forward at OBU and graduated in 1991 with an education degree.
“Through the relationships I had with my professors and fellow students, Ouachita instilled in me the importance of integrity and Christian values,” Ferrell said.
Ferrell said her time at the university was “an asset in both my personal and business world.”
Ferrell and her husband, David Ferrell, own Hunter’s Refuge, 7013 Dollarway Road, in White Hall. Both are active in the community.
The OBU honorees were selected by a committee consisting of the university’s faculty, staff and its president, Ben Sells.
The honorees were measured by their professional achievements and community service, along with their dedication to their alma mater.
Every year, several exemplary graduates are nominated for the award.
“They’re all worthy recipients, so we aspire to select a group of inductees that each year and over time live lives of service and best represent the generations of extraordinary students who are the heart of Ouachita,” Sells said.
Sara Lunsford is a White Hall
City Council member and a longtime friend of Suzanne Ferrell’s.
“I am excited to hear about Suzanne being honored with this award, because she is so deserving. She’s remarkable,” Lunsford said.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
After graduation, Ferrell earned a master’s degree in education at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia and then taught nursing-related classes at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
The Ferrells lived in Chicago for a time before opening Hunter’s Refuge in 1998. David Ferrell is an avid hunter, and Suzanne Ferrell grew up in a family that loved to hunt.
Deciding to open the store was “not easy, but we saw a need for these types of products in this area,” she said.
The store was designed around the idea of enhancing an outdoorsman’s experience. Suzanne Ferrell said they are always seeking to build lasting relationships with our customers.
The couple continued to grow their business, adding to their “affordable” product line that includes firearms, hunting rifles and related equipment; bows and archery equipment; and now steel-toed work boots and fashionable but comfortable sports clothing, like North Face, Patagonia and Columbia brands, she said.
The business grew into a family affair with their son and 2019 OBU graduate, Chandler Ferrell, managing the store.
Their daughter, Michaelyn Ferrell, will graduate from OBU in May, but already she’s involved in the business, often appearing in ads and commercials.
Michaelyn Ferrell said about her boss, “She is a great mom, but also a great boss, co-worker, and friend.”
COMMUNITY, FAMILY
“The store is amazing,” said Joe Spadoni, White Hall Chamber of Commerce president.
Like others, he isn’t surprised at its continued success, adding of Suzanne Ferrell, “She’s an outstanding businessperson and role model.”
For the Ferrell family, the White Hall community is critical to their success.
“We’re an active part of the community, and we’re here [as a business] because of the community. We enjoy giving back,” Suzanne Ferrell said.
The Ferrells have been married 29 years, and David Ferrell said of his wife: “She’s the most caring person I know. She strives to make sure everyone is included.”
Family members and friends reach out to her for advice, whether during celebrations or sad times, he said.
Michaelyn Ferrell said: “Mom is such a role model and mentor to so many people, not to mention an encourager and friend. She has been so successful, from basketball at OBU to the Hunter’s Refuge and so much more, but that is because she never gives up and makes everyone around her feel so loved.”
Spadoni met Suzanne Ferrell in the early 1990s when they were both coaching youth basketball.
“She’s a great sportsman and coach. And she’s just a nice person,” Spadoni said.
Jeff May, assistant to the White Hall mayor, said Suzanne Ferrell and her husband are community-minded.
Lunsford said her influence reaches beyond the state’s southeast region.
“As a successful business owner and a pillar of our community, Suzanne is a role model for entrepreneurs all across Arkansas,” Lunsford said. “Her vision, commitment to quality, and her integrity have led to the growth and success of their family business, which inspires all who know her.”