Many of their restaurant workers are area high school students who have become part of Jim and Paulette's extended family. Choctaw Electric Cooperative members since 1967, Jim and Paulette will celebrate their 36th wedding anniversary on May 23. The Sawyer residents are lifetime members of the community's volunteer fire department. The couple turns their restaurant over each February to department personnel for a large fundraising bean supper. The restaurant owners furnish the food and equipment for the event.
Volunteer firefighters help cook, serve the food and clean up after the annual fundraiser.
Also, every February on the first Monday, the Sawyer Volunteer Fire Department has a chili bean supper at this restaurant. Jim and Paulette Lee open their doors to the fire department to help us raise money. They always supply us with all necessary items to pull off the supper successfully each year. Without the help of Jim and Paulette Lee, it would be impossible to do this. Lee's Catfish Restaurant is open on from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.