1924
Robert
2006
Robert George Cowell
May 13, 1924 — May 31, 2006
Munising
Robert "Bob" George Cowell, age 82, of 213 W. Munising Avenue, died on Wednesday morning, May 31, 2006 at the Superior Health Haven. He was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to the late George and Claudina (Osborn) Cowell. Bob and his family moved to Munising before he was one year old. He graduated from Wm. G. Mather High School and attended Michigan Technological University. Bob left Tech and entered in the U.S. Army during WWII. He was in the European African Middle Eastern Theater, serving in Italy. He returned to M.T.U. and Bob earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1948. On June 19, 1948, Bob married Hilma M. Nybeck. They were married over thirty-one years when Hilma preceded him in death on September 24, 1979. He had worked as the County Engineer for the Alger County Road Commission for a number of years. Bob had worked at his parent's store all of his life and he and Hilma purchased Cowell's Department Store and operated it for twenty years. He then purchased the abstract business and successfully ran Alger County Abstract and Title (with the help of his family) until his retirement in 1987. On December 30, 1988, Bob married Antonia "Toni" (nee Carlson) Lassila. He was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church, the American Legion, a former league bowler, and he was very active with the Munising Lions Club. Bob enjoyed his weekly card games and was a Life Master Duplicate Bridge Player. He had surveyed property lots on Ready Lake and in 1956, Bob built his camp there. He had a lifetime of family memories on Ready Lake. Bob served on the Board of Directors of the Peoples State Bank for over thirty-eight years and continued on as Director Emeritus after his retirement from the Board on April 21, 1997. He enjoyed playing the stock market and collecting coins and stamps. Bob was a proud participant with the Rochester, Minnesota Mayo Clinic's research for Lewy Body Disease. He often and courageously referred to himself as one of the "research guinea pigs."
Bob is survived by his wife of over seventeen years - Toni Cowell of Munising; six children - David E. (Joanne) Cowell of Gwinn, Claudia Nadeau of Ready Lake, Jacqueline (Ronald) Polomski of Pinckney, MI, Cheryl (Joseph) Lakosky of Crooked Lake, MI, George A. (Cheryl) Cowell of Menominee, MI, and Marcia Lakosky of Grand Rapids, MI; thirteen grandchildren - Kristi Nadeau, Nicole, Jason, & Amanda Cowell, Autumn Lakosky-Drexler, Scott & Jackie Lakosky, Alyssa, Danae, & Abby Cowell, Susan, Emily, & Jamie Lakosky; great-grandchildren - Lilly & Delilah Kelly, and Thane Krumpski; step-children - Robin (John)Tiernan of Munising, Tim (Rhonda) Lassila of Wetmore, and Renae Nelson of Munising; step-grandchildren - Chad, Brad & A.J. Tiernan, T.J., Shannon, Trevor, & Jesse Lassila, and Jamie Nelson.; sisters-in-law - Jeanette Cowell of Fayettville, TN and JoAnn Carlson of Munising, MI; and numerous nieces and nephews. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, wife Hilma, their son John Robert Cowell on June 13, 1976, a son-in-law Jerry Nadeau, a brother John Osborn Cowell, step-grandson Travis Olson and a brother-in-law Richard Carlson.
Visitation will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Friday evening from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. The Reverend Marion Luckey of St. John's Episcopal Church will conduct Bob's funeral service on Saturday, June 3, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Munising. Interment will be at the Maple Grove Cemetery where the Alger County Veterans Council will conduct military honors. He will be escorted by Chuck Nebel, Dennis Harbath, Rob Gartner, Tom Luckey, Dennis Boyak, and Richard Madigan.
Robert "Bob" George Cowell, age 82, of 213 W. Munising Avenue, died on Wednesday morning, May 31, 2006 at the Superior Health Haven. He was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to the late George and Claudina (Osborn) Cowell. Bob and his family moved to Munising before he was one year old. He graduated from Wm. G. Mather High School and attended Michigan Technological University. Bob left Tech and entered in the U.S. Army during WWII. He was in the European African Middle Eastern Theater, serving in Italy. He returned to M.T.U. and Bob earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1948. On June 19, 1948, Bob married Hilma M. Nybeck. They were married over thirty-one years when Hilma preceded him in death on September 24, 1979. He had worked as the County Engineer for the Alger County Road Commission for a number of years. Bob had worked at his parent's store all of his life and he and Hilma purchased Cowell's Department Store and operated it for twenty years. He then purchased the abstract business and successfully ran Alger County Abstract and Title (with the help of his family) until his retirement in 1987. On December 30, 1988, Bob married Antonia "Toni" (nee Carlson) Lassila. He was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church, the American Legion, a former league bowler, and he was very active with the Munising Lions Club. Bob enjoyed his weekly card games and was a Life Master Duplicate Bridge Player. He had surveyed property lots on Ready Lake and in 1956, Bob built his camp there. He had a lifetime of family memories on Ready Lake. Bob served on the Board of Directors of the Peoples State Bank for over thirty-eight years and continued on as Director Emeritus after his retirement from the Board on April 21, 1997. He enjoyed playing the stock market and collecting coins and stamps. Bob was a proud participant with the Rochester, Minnesota Mayo Clinic's research for Lewy Body Disease. He often and courageously referred to himself as one of the "research guinea pigs."
Bob is survived by his wife of over seventeen years - Toni Cowell of Munising; six children - David E. (Joanne) Cowell of Gwinn, Claudia Nadeau of Ready Lake, Jacqueline (Ronald) Polomski of Pinckney, MI, Cheryl (Joseph) Lakosky of Crooked Lake, MI, George A. (Cheryl) Cowell of Menominee, MI, and Marcia Lakosky of Grand Rapids, MI; thirteen grandchildren - Kristi Nadeau, Nicole, Jason, & Amanda Cowell, Autumn Lakosky-Drexler, Scott & Jackie Lakosky, Alyssa, Danae, & Abby Cowell, Susan, Emily, & Jamie Lakosky; great-grandchildren - Lilly & Delilah Kelly, and Thane Krumpski; step-children - Robin (John)Tiernan of Munising, Tim (Rhonda) Lassila of Wetmore, and Renae Nelson of Munising; step-grandchildren - Chad, Brad & A.J. Tiernan, T.J., Shannon, Trevor, & Jesse Lassila, and Jamie Nelson.; sisters-in-law - Jeanette Cowell of Fayettville, TN and JoAnn Carlson of Munising, MI; and numerous nieces and nephews. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, wife Hilma, their son John Robert Cowell on June 13, 1976, a son-in-law Jerry Nadeau, a brother John Osborn Cowell, step-grandson Travis Olson and a brother-in-law Richard Carlson.
Visitation will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Friday evening from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. The Reverend Marion Luckey of St. John's Episcopal Church will conduct Bob's funeral service on Saturday, June 3, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Munising. Interment will be at the Maple Grove Cemetery where the Alger County Veterans Council will conduct military honors. He will be escorted by Chuck Nebel, Dennis Harbath, Rob Gartner, Tom Luckey, Dennis Boyak, and Richard Madigan.
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