09/30/2026
Today, we were humbled and honored to present a check to our dear friend and Charlie’s family member, Kailee Hines-Husemann, wife of Jacob and mom to their three beautiful children — all under the age of six.
Jacob was a valuable part of the Catfish Charlie’s crew in our early years. He was the kind of employee who stepped up wherever he was needed, usually with a goofy smile on his face and a few jokes to go along with it.
And when we say wherever he was needed, we mean it.
Over the years, Jacob took on plenty of “side quests” for our family, too. When we needed help moving homes, Jacob was there. Eventually, he even took on the responsibility of having a key to Charlie’s so he could unlock the restaurant and help our food distributor stock the freezer. He became someone our family genuinely trusted and could count on.
Jacob was constantly trying to better his situation for his family, often leaving Charlie’s for construction or manual labor jobs that offered better pay or benefits — and we got it. Everything he did was about providing for Kailee and those babies.
And somehow, he was also one of the few cooks who could sweet-talk the servers in the window instead of participating in the usual kitchen banter. 😂❤️
Kailee was part of our Charlie’s world, too. She spent plenty of evenings at the restaurant waiting for Jacob to clock out, often bringing the kiddos along for a few catfish nuggets while Dad finished his shift.
This family isn’t just made up of people who once worked here. They’re part of the Charlie’s family…. And last weekend, YOU showed up for them.
Through our Helping the Husemanns fundraiser, you donated $1,270. Lola personally matched $1,300, allowing us to present Kailee with a check for $2,570. That happened because of YOU.
Every dollar. Every person who stopped by. Every share. Every kind word. Every person who dropped something into that donation jar. But…
$2,570? Come on, Charlie’s family. We can do even more. ❤️ We aren’t done honoring Jacob yet.
This weekend, we’re setting a goal of raising ANOTHER $2,500 for Kailee and the kids — and we’re giving you a few different ways to help us get there.
❤️ HEARTS FOR THE HUSEMANNS
For a $5 donation, you can purchase a paper heart and write your name, a message for Kailee and the kids, a favorite memory of Jacob, or simply a few words of love and encouragement.
We’ll hang every single heart throughout Charlie’s. Our goal? Cover this place in them.
We want Kailee and those babies to be able to look around and physically SEE just how many people are standing behind them.
🍹 A DRINK FOR JACOB
We’re also working on a special cocktail for the weekend, with a portion of every drink sold going directly to the Husemann family.
And because this is Charlie’s and apparently we don’t know how to do anything halfway…
🎟️ Do we hear a 50/50 raffle in the future?!
Of course, our donation jar will also be available all weekend for anyone who simply wants to give.
Jacob was the sole provider for his family. Every dollar raised will go directly toward helping Kailee and their three children with funeral and burial expenses, household bills, groceries and the ongoing expenses that come with raising three little ones as they adjust to life without their husband and dad.
There is no amount of money that can make this loss okay. But there IS something we can do. We can take a little weight off Kailee’s shoulders. We can show those three babies how loved their dad was. We can take care of one of our own.
So let’s fill the walls with hearts.
Let’s fill that donation jar.
Let’s raise a glass to Jacob.
Let’s sell the heck out of that 50/50.
Let’s share his story.
And let’s raise another $2,500 for the Husemann family. ❤️ Rest easy, Jacob. We’re going to keep looking out for your people.
