Esther Louise Hinger

Esther Louise (Pugh) Hinger of Malott, WA passed away at home on June 16, 2023. She was 88 years old. Born September 15, 1934, to Eric R. Pugh and Elizabeth E. (Woodward) Pugh, she was the oldest of three sisters. Her family moved from their home in Omak, WA to Tonasket when she was a Junior in Highschool. As a senior she worked in her dad's dry-cleaning business until she graduated in 1952. She attended nurses training in Spokane until circumstances required her to return home, where she went to work again for her dad, pack apples in sheds, and thin according to the season.
In 1955 she met Stanley William Hinger at Maple Hall, the young people hang out of the day, and continued to meet at various dancing establishments up and down the valley. They pursued a long-distance relationship-Tonasket to Malott being considered a decent distance in the 1950's-until they married in Tonasket on March 18th, 1956. They bought into the dairy farm portion of his family's ranch in Malott. During her young married life, she lived and worked on the farm, raising livestock, nursing a nascent apple orchard with her husband, and packing apples. When her children were in grade school, she left home to attend college in Wenatchee, fulfilling her dream of becoming a nurse and earning her LPN degree. She was able to find her forever job at the Okanogan Douglas (now Three Rivers) Hospital in Brewster. In 1975, with the support of her family, she once again left home to further her education in Pasco, WA and obtain her RN degree.
She returned to work at Three Rivers until her retirement in 1996. Esther had a passion for walking. For trekking. For strolling. In her younger years it was hiking through the backwoods on camping trips with her husband and children, once several miles over rough terrain on a sprained ankle; or her middle years, along back roads and trails finding new scenery to capture in picture and paint; or in her most recent ones, with the help of her son or daughter along orchard roads and river trails. No day was complete without her walk, even the ones long after poles and walker became a necessity.
Once they both retired, she and Stan spent summers at their property on Lake Roosevelt, welcoming family and friends to enjoy the sand and water with them. They spent time exploring the Southwest and took multiple trips to Belize until he passed in 2011. A few years later she bought a small house in Wellton, AZ, where she spent Washington's colder months in the artist community there; Esther was never far from art.
In her retirement she fully embraced the artist's life and went on to learn and explore various types of media. Focusing in the early years on oil painting, moving on to pastel and watercolor, then on to any and every type of medium that caught her fancy. Something to create with was never far from hand. She found community in, and was an active member of, the Okanogan County Artists Association. She took joy in helping organize and participating in the Western and Native Art Show during the Omak Stampede. She enjoyed working with and learning from other artists as well as displaying and selling her work at various local venues over the years.
She spread her love of art to her grandchildren, taking them with her to the Lost Lake Art Camp each year as children – one she continued to attend nearly every year after. For the last two years her granddaughter and great granddaughter were able to attend that camp with her. This year, she was with them there in spirit and she was greatly missed by all.
She is survived by her younger sister, Carol Laing, three children Sheryl, Sharon, and Phil, and grandchildren and great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents and husband and her younger sister, Mary.
A memorial service will be held for Esther Hinger at the Malott Grange on July 22nd at 2pm. All are welcome to attend. She will eventually rest with her husband at the Malott Cemetery, please feel free to make any donations in her name there or to the charity of your choice.