Louis G. Koepel was born in Beacon Hill, Michigan in 1909. He attended the local schools and graduated from Jeffers High School in 1925 and received his degree in metallurgical engineering from the Michigan College of Mining and Technology (now Michigan Technological University) in 1931. From 1932 to 1937 he was an instructor at the college. In 1937 he joined the Quincy Mining Company as mill superintendent, and later, assumed the position of superintendent of the Reclamation Plant. In 1972 he came responsible for all Michigan operations of the Quincy Mining Company. Koepel's fifty association with the mining company ended when its Michigan assets were sold to the Quincy Development Corporation, a member of the Ventures Group, Inc.; however, he served as president and chief operations officer of the QDC. Koepel was also involved in local government as well as other organizations, including the Houghton County Board of Supervisors, supervisor of the Torch Lake Township, president of the Torch Lake Credit Union, founding member of the Houghton County Historical Museum, and director of numerous tourism groups. Louis Koepel passed away in 1998.