Johnny McFerren

John Clinton

"Johnny" McFerren, Jr.

* * *

Louisiana State Representative for District 7 (Caddo and DeSoto parishes)

In office
1980-1996
Preceded by  |  Joe Henry Cooper
Succeeded by  |  Beverly Bruce

* * *

Born  |  October 29, 1933
Marthaville
Natchitoches Parish
Louisiana

Died  |  August 1, 2018 (aged 84)
Resting place  |  Forest Park West Cemetery in Shreveport
Political party  |  Democrat
Spouse(s)  |  Patsy Rae Moss McFerren (married 1955-2016, her death)
Children  |  Scott Clinton McFerren

Karen Beth McFerren
Three grandsons
Parents:
John Clinton and Mae Donaho McFerren

Residence  |  Shreveport, Louisiana

Stonewall, DeSoto Parish

Alma mater |  Northwestern State University
Occupation  |  Businessman

Former educator

Religion  |  Southern Baptist

John Clinton McFerren, Jr., known as Johnny McFerren (October 29, 1933 - August 1, 2018),[1] was a Shreveport businessman and a Democratic former state representative for Caddo and DeSoto parishes in northwestern Louisiana.[2]

The middle of three sons of John Clinton McFerren, Sr. (1903-1970), and the former Mae Donaho (1909-1998) of Marthaville in Natchitoches Parish.[3] McFerren received a Master of Science degree in education from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. Originally a classroom teacher, he then served for twelve years on the elected Caddo Parish School Board, including a stint as board president. From 1980 to 1996, he represented state House District 7 for four terms, having succeeded Joe Henry Cooper[2] and was the chairman of the House Education Committee during the last of the four non-consecutive terms of Governor Edwin Edwards.[4]

Louisiana Public Commissioner Foster Lonnie Campbell, Jr., who served with McFerren in the legislature, Campbell in the state Senate and McFerren in the House said, "What I admired about Johnny was his versatility and service. He went from the classroom to the business world and became a wealthy self-made man. But he always supported education in the legislature and on the University of Louisiana Board; he even served on the Caddo Parish School Board at one time. ... I don't know of anybody who didn't like Johnny."[5]

For sixty years, he owned McFerren Real Estate in Shreveport.[1] From 2002 to 2004, he was the founder and owner of Johnny's Catfish and Seafood at 5130 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop in Shreveport.[6] He was the vice president of the Belle Maison Neighborhood Association in Shreveport.[7] He had resided for years in Stonewall in northern DeSoto Parish, south of Shreveport.[1]

McFerren was married to the former Patsy Rae Moss (January 14, 1935 - November 22, 2016), the daughter of George and Hattie Moss of Provençal in Natchitoches Parish. Like her husband, she graduated with a master's degree in education from Northwestern State University. Thereafter, she taught for more than twenty years in the Caddo Parish school system, assigned to the Eden Gardens and Forest Hill elementary schools. The McFerrens had two children, Scott Clinton McFerren and his wife, Lori, and Karen Beth McFerren.[8] McFerren's brothers were Wayne Martin McFerren (1936-2004), a painting contractor in Shreveport,[9] and Norman David McFerren (1931-2010) of Marthaville, an NSU graduate who served in the United States Army, was a Baptist deacon, and worked for thirty-seven years for ConAgra Foods.[10]

In 2017, Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards appointed McFerren to the board of supervisors of the University of Louisiana System,[4] headed by chancellor James B. Henderson, also a Shreveport native. Upon McFerren's death, Governor Edwards called him "an exemplary leader as a former state representative, teacher and Caddo Parish School Board member. He understood the importance of giving our children the tools necessary to earn a quality education and the difference it would make in their lives. He was a champion for education at all levels."[5]

After services on August 4, 2018, at the Brookwood Baptist Church in Shreveport, founded in 1955, of which he was a founding member and a deacon, McFerren was interred beside his wife at Forest Park West Cemetery in Shreveport.[1]

## References[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 John McFerren obituary. The Shreveport Times (August 3, 2018).
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2020: Caddo and DeSoto parishes. Louisiana House of Representatives. Retrieved on February 21, 2018.
3. ↑ John Clinton McFerren. Old.findagrave.com. Retrieved on February 22, 2018.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 State Rep. appointed to U. L. Board. The Shreveport Times (May 14, 2017). Retrieved on February 21, 2018.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Greg Hilburn (August 2, 2018). Former state Rep. Johnny McFerren dies. Monroe News Star. Retrieved on August 3, 2018.
6. ↑ Johnny's Catfish & Seafood. Johnnyscatfish.com. Retrieved on February 21, 2018.
7. ↑ Johnny McFerren in Shreveport. Bizapedia.com. Retrieved on February 21, 2018.
8. ↑ Patsy McFerren obituary. The Shreveport Times (November 25, 2016). Retrieved on February 21, 2018.
9. ↑ Wayne Martin McFerren. Old.findagrave.com. Retrieved on February 22, 2018.
10. ↑ Norman McFerren obituary. The Shreveport Times (November 23, 2010). Retrieved on February 22, 2018.