Robert Couvillion

Robert (Cubby) Couvillion, age 98, peacefully passed away at his home on September 10, 2024.

He was born on November 13, 1925, at St Joseph Hospital, Menominee, MI, to Elmer and Rose (Kreinbring) Couvillion. Following his graduation from Peshtigo High School in 1943 he then served in the US Navy in World War II in the Pacific Battle of Okinawa in 1945. He served in the Navy Reserve until 1953. On June 2, 1951, he married Patricia Donovan and were happily united for 69 years. He was employed by US Postal Service in Peshtigo for 38 years as mail deliverer, clerk, and rural carrier, and retirement in 1980.

Cubby was well noted for his interest in archeology and history. He was instrumental in the recovery of a Native American whose remains were exposed along the riverbank of the lower Peshtigo River. Per his recommendation, the remains were eventually interred at the Riverside Cemetery with a stone commemorating this individual. For years he continued to collect artifacts for archeologists. He was a history buff of American Indian Wars, the Civil War, the great logging era, and World War I, II, Korea, and Vietnam. His greatest battle of study was the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where the US Seventh Cavalry and their commander, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, met their fate in a fight against the Lakota and Sioux tribes led by Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull. He visited and studied that battlefield at Garryowen on four occasions. To him, the knowledge and understanding of history was very important because knowing our past gives us a better appreciation of where we are today, and hopefully, we learned from our mistakes in the past.

Cubby also studied relentlessly the local history of Peshtigo, Marinette County, and the State of Wisconsin. He was a member of the Peshtigo Historical Society since its inception in 1961 and was an active participant at the Peshtigo Fire Museum. Right after his retirement, he served as director of the Marinette County logging Museum on Stephenson Island for nine years. In 2012, Cubby was awarded the Richard Roland Persons of the Year Awards by the Peshtigo Chamber of Commerce for his community service. In 2018, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Wisconsin Historical Society and the people of Marinette County for all of his historical and archeological research achievements.

Cubby loved the outdoors and hunted and fished his entire life. By far, his greatest love was his wife, family, and friends. He and his sibling sisters were a very close kit group as they navigated through the Great Depression. Most of all, he loved God with simplicity of heart and always maintained a personal relationship with God through his prayers and attendance at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Peshtigo, where he was a parishioner for just shy of 99 years. He often read and memorized many poems through the years as a means of expressing his love to the Lord and to his friends.

Cubby was preceded in death by his parents Elmer and Rose, his wife Patricia (Donovan) Couvillion, his sisters Pat (Russell) Uecke, Peggy (Ron) Harrand, and Charolette (Gaylord) King and a very special nephew, Lon Harrand. Everyone of his nieces and nephews were special to him. Cubby is survived by his four children, David Couvillion, Missouri, Suzy (Tony) Malson of Neenah, John (Tracy) Couvillion of Carlsbad, California, and Cole (Sue) Couvillion of Wausaukee along with 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.

Visitation for Cubby will be held from 9am until 11 am on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Peshtigo. A funeral mass will take place at 11am followed by burial and military rites at the Riverside Cemetery in Peshtigo.