Louella Mae Thomas Swett passed away peacefully surrounded by family on April 10, 2025. She was loved and full of love. Louella will be dearly missed by her continuously growing family.
Louella was born on Feb. 2, 1957 in Santa Cruz, Calif. to Melvin L. Thomas and Pauline M. Thomas.
Louella had five siblings (Glenda, Melvin Jr. “Sonny,” Christine, Theron, and Clinton). Louella and her family moved from California to Boardman in her later high school years. At the age of 17 Louella met and married her first love, Boyd Hulse, and she mothered two girls, Sandra and Kathy. Around 1984 Louella and Boyd divorced. She then found her second love, John Neider, and then added three more children to her family, Angel, Kala, and John “JT.” Louella married William “Bill” Swett around 2005. Bill tragically passed away in 2008. Louella found her last and final love, Kevin Albrecht in 2012, then lost him in March 2019.
Louella’s career consisted around her passion for cooking. She also worked in delis and butcher shops slicing meat. Louella showed lots of her love through her food that she cooked and cakes that she baked (especially the birthday cakes for grandchildren). Many family members remember gatherings with Louella serving some sort of delicious dish (then begging for the recipe).
Louella gained 13 grandchildren (Boyd, Nathan, Ashley, Jacob, Ryan, Nicholas, Alysun, Matthew, AJ, Chance, Emily, Jayden, and Carson) and seven great-grandchildren (Aubrey, Kaisen, Calliope, Maya, Rene, Cece, and Arya) in her life time.
A celebration of life will be planned for late spring or early summer.
Please share memories of Louella with her family at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.
