Kathleen Swanston

Kathleen “Herbie” “Kathie” Dianne Swanston, 78, passed away on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, surrounded by her family. Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 29, 1945, to the late Earl and Hilda Engstrom.

Kathie met her first husband in high school, who she married soon after and had her first 4 children. She enjoyed bowling, showing horses and helping her children with their 4H projects. Kathie worked 13 years for Nestles Chocolate Factory, where she was nicknamed Herbie. While at Nestles, she met and married her late husband, Robert, and they had a daughter together.

Kathie moved to Tucson, Arizona, in 1986, where she soon after got a couple of horses, enjoyed riding and teaching her youngest daughter to ride and show. She then found love for raising and showing chickens of all breeds at the fair. Nothing was out of reach for her, for soon after she found her absolute love of animals with goats, where she raised and showed many a permanent champion. The goats were her true passion and love of the animal world. Kathie also belonged to the Southern Arizona Dairy Goat Association.

She worked, or should we say played, at Old Tucson, where she made all of her work attire. Everything she made was gorgeous and she received many compliments and was asked to pose or be in photos with the guests that visited the park. Kathie met many people there, for she beamed with pure happiness working there.

Kathie was also an extra in the movie “Hot Bath An’ A Stiff Drink”.

Kathleen is survived by her children, Kraig and Kip Herbrechtsmeier, Kimberly (Mark) Martyn, and Rebecca Velasquez; her grandchildren, James Herbrechtsmeier, Jade (Dominic) Lira, Zoe (Evan Cowan) Herbrechtsmeier, Sydney and Savannah Martyn, Tristian Herbrechtsmeier, Benjamin Velasquez, Trinity Herbrechtsmeier, Gabriella Velasquez and Dakota Herbrechtsmeier; her great grandchildren, Lola Mitchell, Hudson Lira and Eliza Cowan.

Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Robert F. Swanston; daughter, Kelly Lynn Herbrechtsmeier; her sister, Beverly K. Francois; and her niece, Jacquelyn A. Francois.

She will be missed dearly by her family and many friends.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 2:00pm at Old Tucson, located at 201 Kinney Road in Tucson.

“We begin to remember not just that you died, but that you lived. And that your life gave us memories too beautiful to forget.”