Robert "Jeep" LaTourell, age 89, a proud Army veteran, passed away on January 21, 2024, at the Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital with his family by his side. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

RIP Jeep.
I knew him for 45 years.
His final portage.

Indeed. Seems like a life well lived. RIP

An Icon for sure. I took my 1st Quetico trip in 1979 and I used LaTourell’s as my outfitter. Stayed in one their A-Frames the night before my departure.

Jeep went over my maps and spent a lot of time with this first timer pointing out the best campsites and fishing holes. Jeep told me about his favorite big submerged reef in Bailey Bay. I caught a bunch of walleye on Jeep’s secret reef with his recommended leech and bobber setup. In fact, I netted my first 5 lb. walleye.

R.I.P Jeep

Sad…definitely an Icon in the area…but lived a life many of us could only envy.

T

Wally13: "An Icon for sure. I took my 1st Quetico trip in 1979 and I used LaTourell’s as my outfitter. Stayed in one their A-Frames the night before my departure.


Jeep went over my maps and spent a lot of time with this first timer pointing out the best campsites and fishing holes. Jeep told me about his favorite big submerged reef in Bailey Bay. I caught a bunch of walleye on Jeep’s secret reef with his recommended leech and bobber setup. In fact, I netted my first 5 lb. walleye.


R.I.P Jeep "

Love That !

Our introduction to Jeep LaTourell was in Bill Rom's book Canoe Country Wilderness. Rom described a trip to McIntyre Lake, one of Jeep's favorite Quetico lakes, and the trout reef there with Jeep as his guide. We were still using Cliff Wold back in the 1990's and for our first Quetico trip he drove us out to LaTourell's for a tow to Back Bay. Cliff roared into the parking lot there in one of his distinctive green and white vans honking the horn. It was probably 6 in the morning and Jeep came storming out of the office building swearing a blue streak "There are people trying to sleep here!" referring to all the folks in the resort's cabins. Cliff was chastened but later told us "Jeep's a good fella but he gets a little excited sometimes". Once we got to know the family Jeep warmed to us and we had many fascinating discussions with him after that. Among other things he told us he and his father used to haul a summer's worth of canned supplies into McIntyre and stash them in a cave there for later trips with clients. Once when he picked us up at Back Bay after a trip he asked one of our guys to drive a tow boat that was stashed there back to Moose Lake. It was a race all the way back and those boats could fly. (photo: late May, 2000)

Springer2,

Enjoyed reading your post about JEEP. Your picture of JEEP is just how I remember him towing us to Prairie Portage.

Wonderful memories.

I had the good fortune to meet him briefly. A kind gentleman with a deep knowledge of the BWCA. My sympathies to the family. Thank you for sharing.

I never had the privilege to meet Jeep. My deepest condolences to the Latourell Family.

Just saw this, very sad. I always enjoyed Jeep a lot, he was a good fellow. Condolences to the LaTourell family.