End of an Era: Hardworking Mother’s Life Cut Short in Mauldin, a Story of Resilence & Painful Remembrance
Amid the fall colors of Mauldin city in October 1997, a hardworking mother Irene Grainger Graves, who singlehandedly strived to provide for her three kids, met a tragic end in a late-night attack at her workplace.
About Irene
Born into the large Grainger family of Mullins, South Carolina, with nine siblings, Irene was a spirited woman dedicated to securing a good life for her children. Her birth date, April 6, 1956, marked the start of a life filled with resilience, strength, and love. Unlike her mother’s opinion, she believed in earning her bread rather than relying on welfare.
She graduated from Mullins High School and attended Winthrop for two years. Irene had been working night shifts at the Speedway in Mauldin, in addition to her jobs at Kmart and Bi-Lo to afford dance lessons, cheerleading, and more for her kids.
Irene’s Kids: Her World
At the time of her murder, her children – 18-year-old Arte, 11-year-old Jeremy, and 10-year-old Ensley were her world. She was quoted saying, โI never want the children to feel because they have a single parent they were denied anything.โ Irene had been a regular churchgoer and a member of her familyโs home church Old Field Missionary Baptist in Mullins.
The Cold Night of The Crime
In the eerie early morning hours of November 1, 1997, two masked men, including the offender, a 19-year-old Greenville resident, Freddie Owens stormed into the Speedway. They coerced Irene to open the cash register and then demanded she open the jammed safe. When she couldn’t, they shot her in the head, fleeing with as little as $37.29, leaving Irene dead at the scene.
Irene’s coworker Mary Hall, who was outside then, heard a popping sound and discovered Irene’s lifeless body when she returned. She immediately called 911.
Conviction and Aftermath
Owens confessed the crime to some fellows involved in earlier robberies, referring to Irene using vulgar language. The murder weapon, unfortunately, has never been found as it was discarded in the Conestee River.
Owens, now 46, is due to face the lethal injection for the crime on Friday, making it the first execution in South Carolina since 2011.
Post Irene’s tragic demise, the two younger kids moved in with their grandmother, Grainger. In the aftermath, their nightmare-filled lives were filled with aching silence, a painful void created by their mother’s absence. Irene’s final funeral rites took place in the Old Field Baptist in Mullins on November 7, 1997, six days after the unfortunate incident, and she was laid to eternal rest in the Carmichael Cemetery in Mullins.
Commending on the sorrowful loss, one of the victim witness advocates who broke the news to Irene’s children said, “Their mother was all they had. She was their lives.”
A Daughter Remembers
Fast forward to today, Irene’s daughter Ensley, now a mother herself, commemorates her late mom’s birthday on Facebook, confessing how everyday without her mother is still a tough journey. Her poignant post reads, “Happy Heavenly Birthday…. Everyday is still tough without you. You would have had the most amazing time with your grand babies. I talk to them about you often. Rest on.โ
Irene, who would have turned 68 today, left a legacy of hard work and resilience that continues to inspire her children and others who knew her. The Speedway, the site of her tragic ending, located on Laurens Road has since then shuttered.
