Esther (Bunni) Swain

Longtime Grant County resident Esther Marie Swain, 82, of Mattawa, Wash., born Esther Marie Pearson on Jan. 18, 1942, peacefully passed away July 22, 2024, after a fast-paced battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her loving family. 

Mom was born in Sandpoint, Idaho, and was raised with seven siblings. Losing her mother to cancer when she was 14 and her father when she was 16 to a logging accident, our mom left home at 14 to brave the world on her own. This was the start to an amazing, adventurous life of a very, very strong woman. She had several interesting jobs throughout her life including working at Boeing, Auburn, Wash., aiding in the building of the 747s, waitressing at a steak house and bookkeeping at a gas station in Bridgeport, Wash., working at a wood mill in Stevenson, Wash., and cooking at Wayward Winds in Mattawa, Wash. She retired in 2006 from working for Grant County PUD as an HMA at Wanapum Dam. Although she had several opportunities to move ahead in her work at Wanapum, she thoroughly enjoyed the job that she did, and she was very proud of her accomplishments and the relationships she had with her co-workers and superiors. 

She was married at 17 to Leslie Swain and was immersed heavily in training and riding horses. During one of the mountain rides on Mount Rainier, she went over the side of a steep mountain with the colt she was riding. No one should have survived that tumble down the mountain into a creek, but she did! The horse she was riding perished. One tough lady!

After many life changes Mom met the love of her life, Roland Lady. Their love story has been going on for 47 years. Best friends for life! They have spent many years fishing, camping, gathering mushrooms, and yard selling side by side and inseparable. 

She is preceded in death by her mother, Agnes Alma Pearson (Crabb), father Per Gustoff Pearson, sister Helen White, sister Verna Terrill, sister Sylvia Greunloh and stepdaughter Star Hanby. She is survived by her best friend and partner, Roland Lady of Ione, Wash.; sister Alma McChesnie of Hope, Idaho; sister Freda Wolf of Branson, Mo.; twin brothers Gus Pearson (Chris) and John Pearson of Clark Fork, Idaho; three children Brenda McKee (Pat) of Ellensburg, Wash., Jill McFerrin (Kevin) of Nine Mile Falls, Wash., and Jennifer Lady (Rob) of California; eight grandchildren Heather (Matt) Miller of Ferndale, Wash., Lisa Root (Steven) of Chehalis, Ore., Joshua Johnston (Anne) of Mattawa, Wash., Jennafer Curtis (Juston) of Kennewick, Wash., Alicia Florez, Emilio Florez, Bella Florez and Anthony Hamby; and two great-grandchildren Gavin Miller and Lola Miller of Ferndale, Wash.

There will be no services held at this time.