For Immediate Release

For more information contact: PR Consultant Kim Brukardt, 662.890.3335 or cell: 901.832.4527

Longtime Jim’s Place East Fans Enjoy An Extra Special Mother’s Day

MEMPHIS, TENN. (May 12, 2010)…Nearly 600 celebratory families gathered at Jim’s Place East on Mother’s Day, May 9, carrying bouquets of flowers, colorfully wrapped gifts, and big appetites. In addition to a fine meal in beautiful surroundings, some Mid-South moms received special gift bags filled with goodies including gift certificates from Jim’s, Wish boutique, and Esthetiques Skin Spa as well as tickets to the Memphis Italian Festival. The lucky moms also happened to be longtime fans of Jim’s.

Mom Evelyn Heun of East Memphis was thrilled with her gift bag. “I’ve been coming to Jim’s since it opened (in the mid-70s). My Mom loved it first. Now, it’s one of our favorite places for family gatherings. Even my son Matthew, who is now 21, picked Jim’s as his restaurant of choice when he was just a little boy.” Mrs. Heun owns Gift and Art Shop, Inc., at 4704 Poplar. She celebrated Mother’s Day with her new husband, Art Heun, chief of police for the City of Dyersburg, and her mother-in-law, Bonnie Landon, formerly a WWII Navy medic from Germantown.

Mom Libba Beasley of Cordova said she and husband, Judge Jim Beasley, had been regulars at Jim’s since they began dating. “We continued coming once a week for the next 25 years,” she said. Surprised by her gift bag, she said she felt extra special that day. Though her daughters Sarah (Knoxville) and Beth (Nashville) were unable to attend, she had plenty of relatives to share in her happiness on Mother’s Day including husband Jim, her father-in-law James Beasley, a retired judge from Eads, Tenn., her mother-in-law Martha, her brother-in-law Mike and sister-in-law Lajuanna of Horn Lake, Miss., and their son Alex.

Mom Jenny Willford of East Memphis was surrounded by a sea of loved ones on her special day. “That’s for me?” she asked with surprise, when receiving her Jim’s gift bag. Her husband Bradley, daughters Annie, 6, and Louise, 10 and son Nelson, 11, as well as her parents Frank and Sally Navarra of East Memphis, nephew Winston, 4 ½, sister-in-law Krista and brother-in-law Martin of Midtown, and her mother-in-law Ida Wilford shared in the excitement. A teacher at Christ Methodist Day School, Jenny said her parents began taking her to Jim’s when she was a young child. She grew up appreciating the good food and ambience and today, she and her own family choose Jim’s to share life’s special occasions.

A retired teacher from Raleigh-Bartlett Meadows Elementary, Martha Catlin of Germantown and her teacher friends regularly dine at Jim’s at least twice a month. She was happy to receive her gift bag especially since Jim’s Place had played a role in her family’s lives for some time. Her son, Michael used to work for the restaurant some 12 years ago. An Arlington resident, Michael decided to follow mom’s lead and become a schoolteacher. He is now a teacher and bowling coach at White Station High. Martha also celebrated Mother’s Day with her daughter-in-law Tonya, grandson Drew Haynes, 14, and granddaughter Hailey Haynes, 8.

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Photos by Kim Brukardt

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Celebrating Mother’s Day at Jim’s East were newlyweds Art and Evelyn Heun of East Memphis and Evelyn’s mother-in-law, Bonnie Landon of Germantown. Not pictured: Evelyn’s son Matthew McGuire, also a fan of Jim’s Place.

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From left: Celebrating a happy Mother’s Day at Jim’s Place East are Nelson Wilford, 11, Mom Jenny Wilford, daughters Annie, 6 and Louise, 10 and husband Bradley Wilford, all of East Memphis.

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Returning to a familiar venue on Mother’s Day are: Michael Catlin (a former waiter at the restaurant), Dad Merritt Catlin, Mom Martha Catlin, grandson Drew Haynes, 14, daughter-in-law Tonya Catlin, and granddaughter Hailey Haynes, 8. Martha and Merritt Catlin are residents of Germantown while the Michael Catlin family is from Arlington.

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Mom Libba Beasley of Cordova (foreground) proudly displays her Jim’s Place gift bag while a floral arrangement serves as the perfect backdrop on Mother’s Day. From left in the background are: Libba’s father-in-law, retired Judge James Beasley (Eads, Tenn.), her husband Judge Jim Beasley, her mother-in-law Martha Beasley, and her brother-in-law Mike Beasley and sister-in-law Lajuanna Beasley of Horn Lake, Miss. Not pictured are Alex and Ernest Beasley, sons of Mike and Lajuanna Beasley.