Kathleen M. “Kathy” Esser, 79, of Rochester passed away peacefully on June 21, 2025, after a courageous battle with lung disease.
 Born on October 25, 1945, in Shakopee, Kathy was the daughter of Carl and Florence Klepperich. She attended Guardian Angels Catholic School, where she discovered her passion for music – beginning with the coronet and later the French horn. Kathy graduated from Chaska High School in 1963, where she and her sister Louise proudly played with the school band during a Minnesota Vikings halftime show in Green Bay, Wis.
 A self-described tomboy, Kathy loved swimming, biking, fishing, and downhill skiing – activities that fostered her lifelong appreciation for nature. She earned her degree in Elementary Education from Mankato State College and completed her student teaching in Albert Lea. Kathy went on to teach in Bemidji for three years and in Silver Lake for one, before beginning a long and successful 43-year career at 3M in Hutchinson as a cycle inventory coordinator. She retired in 2016.
 Kathy shared her love for the outdoors with her children and grandchildren through countless camping trips and family adventures. Whether it was canoeing, fishing, mining for amethyst, or panning for gold, theater trips, museums and the Como Zoo, she was just happy to be with her family. Her favorite place was Gooseberry Falls State Park, where she found peace walking the trails surrounded by nature.
 Kathy is survived by her husband, Bill Esser of Rochester; daughter, Vicki (Kristopher) Pisk of Galesburg, Ill.; and grandchildren Johnathan, Nicholas, Mackenzie, and Bailey. She is also survived by her brother, Chuck (Carla) Klepperich of Zumbrota. She was preceded in death by her beloved son, Martin Esser, and her sister, Louise Van Winkle.
 A celebration of Kathy’s life will be held at a later date.
 “When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.”