IL SR1197

John H. Kube of Petersburg passed away on August 1, 2024; he was born March 27, 1944, in Whitehall, Wisconsin to Adolph H. and Hazel O. Kube and married Diane Sobotta on November 26, 1964.

Kube was a forest wildlife biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources from 1973 to 2002, initially hired by the Department of Conservation's Division of Wildlife after earning his Master of Science in Natural Resource Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

During his tenure, Kube trapped and relocated wild turkeys to suitable habitats across Illinois, trapped and transplanted ruffed grouse into the Shawnee National Forest, and served as deer project leader managing the statewide deer herd and county harvest quotas.

Through his deer management efforts, Illinois deer herds increased substantially, allowing management goals to shift from growth to population control at levels acceptable to hunters, farmers, and motorists, making Illinois a destination for deer hunters nationwide.

Kube is survived by his wife Diane, daughters Brenda and Barbra Webber, three grandchildren, and sister Alice Bledig; he was preceded in death by his daughter Mary.