Four Way owner Jo Ellen Bates’ influence evident in South Memphis
“She was a mother to all, not just her own,” Patrice Bates Thompson said of her mother, Jo Ellen Bates. Mrs. Bates, a retired Memphis City Schools teacher and matriarch of the popular South Memphis eatery The Four Way, died Sunday at age 74. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian file)
Retired teacher and restaurant owner Jo Ellen Bates left a lasting impact on students and community members with her investment in South Memphis. Mrs. Bates died Sunday at age 74.
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Jo Ellen Bates Metropolitan Baptist Church The Four Way Grill Willie Earl BatesElle Perry
A native Memphian, Elle Perry has earned graduate degrees from the University of Memphis and Maryland Institute College of Art. She’s written for publications including the Memphis Business Journal, Memphis Flyer and High Ground News, and previously served as coordinator of The Teen Appeal.
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