.jpg)
Bonita Louise Pevey, a proud Bad River Chippewa woman and beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and matriarch, peacefully walked on from our presence Aug. 30, 2026, at the age of 76.
Born Bonita Louise Riel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Nov. 4, 1949, she was the youngest of 10 children. She was preceded in death by all nine of her brothers and sisters, and with her passing, she became the last of her generation. The loss of each sibling left its own mark on her heart, but she carried their memories, their stories and the love they shared with her throughout her life.
Bonita was the beloved wife of Tom Pevey and the mother of three children: her eldest, Robert Warbelton, and her twins, Eric Warbelton and Elisabeth Hansen. She leaves behind her beloved grandchildren, Rob (Robbie), Katherynn, Daniel, Brandon, Colin, Chloe and Logan, and many great-grandchildren, who will carry her love, stories, teachings and memory forward for generations to come.
Family was at the very center of Bonita’s life. She became “Aunty Babe” at just 5 years old, beginning a role that would become one of the most treasured parts of her life. She was deeply connected to her nieces and nephews and remained close with many of them throughout the years. She embraced being an aunt with love, laughter and the special kind of care that only an auntie can give. Those relationships remained an important thread throughout her life and were a testament to the love she had for her family.
As a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and auntie, Bonita was part of a family that stretched across generations. She was a keeper of family memories and stories, and her life was woven into the larger story of her family, her community and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Her legacy will live on through the generations she leaves behind and in the traditions, memories and love they carry with them.
Bonita also had a spirit of adventure and a love for discovering new places. She enjoyed traveling, but there was something especially special about a good road trip. She loved getting in the car, seeing where the road would lead, discovering new places along the way and making memories with the people she loved. For Bonita, the journey itself was often just as meaningful as the destination.
She will be remembered for the love she gave so freely, the family connections she cherished, the stories she carried and the memories she created along the way. Though she was the last of her siblings’ generation, she leaves behind a family that carries pieces of her forward — her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and all those whose lives were touched by hers.
Bonita Louise Pevey’s journey may have come to an end, but the road she traveled continues through all of us who loved her. Her memory will remain in the stories we tell, the places we remember, the laughter we share and the generations that follow.
She was loved. She will be missed. And she will never be forgotten.
A celebration of life will be held in spring 2027 in Red Cliff, Wisconsin.
