Esther (Bunni) Swain

Jan. 18, 1942 – July 22, 2024

Longtime Grant County resident Esther Marie Swain, 82, of Mattawa, Washington, born Esther Marie Pearson on Jan. 18, 1942, peacefully passed away on 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, Washington aiding in the building of the 747s, waitressing at a steak house and bookkeeping at a gas station in Bridgeport, Washington, working at a wood mill in Stevenson, Washington and cooking at Wayward Winds in Mattawa, Washington. 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.