Joyce Fawson still has daily flashbacks of "the incident." Not just because her leg doesn't work so well any more. And not just because she still feels pain.
Every day is a reminder of where she has been and the legacy she inherited on Nov. 25, 2001. It was a Sunday night, and Fawson was at work at Jimbo's Drive Inn in Grantsville, where she'd been just about every Sunday night for 30 years.
On that Sunday, however, Fawson saw a woman running toward the restaurant, chased by her enraged husband. She ran outside to help. The man had a gun.
Thomas Schutz chased his wife, Marilyn, and Fawson into Jimbo's and began shooting. Marilyn Schutz and Jimbo's owner, Jimmie Maddox, were killed. Fawson was shot in the abdomen. The bullet ricocheted through her leg.
Minutes later, Thomas Schutz committed suicide.
Jimbo's Drive Inn closed. Fawson spent the next three months recovering from her injuries and contemplating her future. She knew a few things: She loved the people she served for more than three decades at Jimbo's, and she wasn't going to let the incident defeat her.
In February 2002, Fawson got together with her husband, Blaine, and her kids, to decide what she should do.
"It occurred to me that I couldn't just sit around," Fawson said. "That's just not who I am. So I sat down with my family and said, 'We should think about building or buying another restaurant in Grantsville.' Because there was a definite need."
Fawson laughs when she recalls the discussions. They talked about good food, the good people of Grantsville and possible names for the restaurant.
"We kicked around a lot of names, some as morbidly funny as 'The Ricochet Cafe,' " she said. "We decided against that one."
Whatever the name, Fawson couldn't walk away.
"The customers, they were as much my family as my family," she said. "I worked there from the time I was 16. It was a nice, comfortable job, close to home. I loved the work."
So Fawson met with representatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Business Information Center and the Service Corps of Retired Executives, who provided her with advice and information about running a business. The SBA provided a small-business loan, and she was on her way.
"Hers is a great success story," said Stan Nakano, SBA district director. "When a lot of people begin the process of starting a business or applying for financing, it's extremely difficult without SBA involvement. Especially for small start-up businesses. What we can do is provide management and technical expertise, and then help guide them through the process of getting financing.
"A lot of lenders look for a track record or substantial financial capacity, but many small-business owners don't have that. That's where we can step in and help, like we did here. That's our job."
On May 10, 2002, Fawson opened Kravers restaurant on Main Street in Grantsville. The restaurant's menu includes home-style burgers, Mexican cuisine, desserts and old-fashion sodas.
Without citing specific numbers, Fawson said Kravers is "doing very well." Well enough that, less than a year later and with help from the Utah Microenterprise Loan Fund, Kravers opened another location in Stansbury Park.
Danielle Lower, UMLF assistant director, said that although the agency specializes in providing modest loans to help small-business owners succeed, Fawson's case was a powerful reminder of the UMLF's mission.
"Joyce's case was extremely fulfilling," Lower said. "She's overcome so much adversity. When she came to make her presentation before our credit committee, she was crying. Usually, the committee takes a few days to make a decision (about extending a loan). But when Joyce finished her presentation, I looked at the board, and then chased her out into the parking lot and told her she'd gotten the loan."
The UMLF loaned Fawson $20,000 through a special program designed to help business owners who have been injured on the job and are looking for another way to make a living.
"She's been through so much in her life," Lower continued. "And she's really doing terrific."
Fawson is quick to note that her business is not a one-woman show. Blaine Fawson quit his job to work full-time at Kravers. One son, Cameron, is helping to run the new Stansbury Park location. Another son, Clint, also helps out.
Though business has been strong at both locations, Fawson said she isn't looking for Kravers to be the next McDonald's.
"World domination would be nice," she joked. "But realistically, I'm just satisfied being comfortable. I'd like to see Kravers do well, because I think it's a natural. But really, I'm just happy to be alive."
The flashbacks continue, she said, and recovery is an ongoing journey. But she goes to work every day, to serve a community that also is still mending and to build a business that has helped solidify a family.
"I do it because I love my customers, I love the work and I love my family," she said. "I hope it has helped Grantsville heal a little, I do. It's really wonderful to know that we could be a part of something like that, something bigger."
E-mail: jnii@desnews.com