Millie Esther Watson Graham was the mother of United States Senator Lindsey Graham. Born in South Carolina, she grew up in a modest Southern family and married Florence James 'F.J.' Graham, with whom she co-owned and operated the Sanitary Cafe, a bar and grill in Central, South Carolina. The couple raised two children, Lindsey (born 1955) and Darline, in the small town, where Millie worked alongside her husband in the family business, contributing to the local community through their establishment that served as a social hub. Tragedy struck the Graham family in 1976 when F.J. Graham died suddenly of a heart attack on February 29. Millie, already battling Hodgkin's lymphoma, passed away just four months later on June 28, 1976, at the age of 41. Her death left her teenage son Lindsey and daughter Darline to be raised by extended family, profoundly shaping Lindsey Graham's personal life and political narrative, often citing his parents' hard work and early loss as formative influences. Little is publicly documented about Millie's early life or personal interests beyond her role as a devoted mother and business partner, but she is remembered in family accounts as resilient and family-oriented.