Gaston Stronk has steered his way through life imbued with many experiences. His PhD in history has created an added value of understanding in life ranging from Aurora to Luxemburg and duties as a Luxemburg ambassador to various countries, to include India, Russia, and the United States.
He will retire from his ambassadorship July 1. “There are many more items on the list to do,” he said recently. “I might go hiking in the mountains in Germany for a long time and enjoy it and do some teaching, such as at the EU (European Union) Institute.”
Luxemburg, one of three Benelux countries, shares borders with both Germany and France.
He spent 10 days away from his Washington, D.C. office which ended Sunday on his return by his vehicle after visiting northwest Iowa, Dubuque, Iowa, Belgium, Wis., LaCrosse, Wis., Aurora, and the Quincy Home for Veterans the latter Saturday in Quincy. He left for Washington, D.C. Saturday satisfied with his Midwest experiences.
“I feel as though I am connected to Aurora,” he told a group at a reception Thursday, June 10 at Blackberry Farm, a part of the Fox Valley Park District. “My great-grandfather, was a part of the great migration to Aurora and lived here for almost 20 years. (Nichlaus Franzen) arrived in Aurora in the 19th Century, with brothers and sisters, was prosperous, worked, owned several houses, and when his youngest sister back in Luxemburg, fell seriously ill (and died) his parents wanted one of the children to return.
“He went back to talk his parents into coming to Aurora. They did not want to move, so he stayed, married, and they had four daughters. One the daughters was my grandmother (Angela Schroeder).
“Part of my visit to Aurora was to visit where he lived on Liberty Street, near the Luxemburg Club (on High Street) and in Pigeon Hill (on the near East Side of Aurora).”
His visit to Quincy Veterans Home was to give a medal to a man from the Plano/Sandwich area (see this page) who served in the U.S. Army and was part of the U.S. military which fought in the Battle of Bulge to help liberate Luxemburg in December 1944 from the grips of the Nazi invasion during World War II. Nick Scull was one of the Heroes of Hosingen as the Battle of the Bulge is known in Luxemburg. Nick Scull was a member of 28th Infantry Division Company B of the 103rd Combat Engineers.
Jeff Scull, son of Enoch “Nick” Scull, called ambassador Stronk to let him know that Corporal Scull was in Quincy. “He called back in less than a day,” Jeff Scull said, “and told me he would make the trip to Quincy.
“We moved him to Quincy,” Jeff Scull said, “because he could live with wife there.”’ They will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary July 1, the same date of ambassador Stronk’s retirement from duties as an ambassador.