Fort Lions present Buell with Birch Sturm Fellowship | Local Info and Services

Lion Gary Moen was introduced to present the Birch Sturm Fellowship recognition. The winner was unknown except to the small committee that made the selection.

As Moen read the script, attendees were given breadcrumbs to discover the evening’s winner. The recipient eventually was revealed as his accolades were revealed.

The Birch-Sturm Fellowship recognizes individuals who exemplify dedication and commitment to Lionism, serving people in their community and beyond through their humanitarian work.

The recognition was created in 1990. It is named after Wisconsin’s only two International Lions Club Presidents, Frank V. Birch and Clarence L. Sturm.

The recipient receives a lapel pin, a plaque, and a patch. Their name also is inscribed on the Master Plaque, honoring all recipients, which is located at the Wisconsin Lions Foundation office.

The local recipient, Buell, has been a Fort Atkinson Lion for more than 40 years and served as an officer for over two decades.

He was the second of four children born to a Navy lawyer. Raised in Janesville, Buell played football, ran track and played trombone. He also was the drum major for his last two years of high school. His best subjects were math and science.

He also held an after-school and summer jobs for three years at Modern Abstract, a title insurance and abstract company. He graduated with honors and headed to college.

Buell enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to major in chemistry. But it was not all studies, as he joined the ski and sailing clubs, and took many outdoor adventure trips. He graduated in four years and enrolled in graduate school in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

Just before the beginning of his second year, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served in the 18th Military Police Brigade stationed in Long Bihn, Vung Tau, and Nui Dat in Viet Nam.

He also served as the bodyguard to the U.S. Ambassador to Viet Nam. For his dedication to our country, he received the National Defense ribbon, the Viet Nam Service ribbon and the Army Good Conduct medal.

Upon discharge from the Army, Buell returned to the UW-Madison. With slim employment outlook in his current major, he changed his major to chemical engineering. This might have been influenced by his soon-to-be wife, Susan.

He needed a job that would provide for a family. He was correct. Upon graduation, he took a job with Morton Chemical Company in Illinois while living in Fort Atkinson. He shared the love of his work with his young daughter’s classroom as he explained what chemical engineers do.

After three years there, he was offered a job at Johnson Wax, now SC Johnson, and worked with consumer products. He developed the processes for Shout laundry pre-spotter and Flying Colors bleach.

The recipient then was transferred to the chemical division, where he developed processes for paper coating, inks and paints. He received additional promotions including manager of Process Development for water-based polymers and manager of Process Development of the Polymer Division.

Under his leadership, the Polymer Division grew from $10 million to $300 million in 15 years. The positions allowed him to travel to Japan, Argentina and Europe. He retired in 2007.

A member of the First Congregational United Church of Christ for more than 40 years, he has served as the Diaconate and has chaired the Child Care Board, Worship Ministry and Christian Education Board. His talents also were put to use in the bell choir, as well as the technology, radio broadcast and livestream technician.

Another skill Buell possesses is photography, capturing many church events as the de facto photographer. He won numerous awards for his work, sold many prints, and had his work displayed at shows in Fort Atkinson and Janesville. Maybe his most memorable print was capturing the family’s kitten pouncing on the bountiful Thanksgiving table. It won a blue ribbon.

Sports have surrounded the winner his whole life. He enjoys tennis and played in a league with his wife. He even served as president of the Fort Atkinson Tennis Association. Skiing also was enjoyable to him. He was a member of the North Hills Ski Club and served as treasurer.

The work travel he enjoyed at Johnson sparked an interest in leisure travel with his wife. Those countries included Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Holland, Austria, Mexico, Newfoundland, Iceland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. That sailing club experience in college set the stage for his Caribbean voyages, which he charter-sailed five times.

Fly fishing and kayaking are new undertakings. He enjoys fly fishing with his son-in-law and kayaking with his brothers and a fellow Lion. Currently, his favorite sport is golf, taking in rounds weekly.

However, his favorite pastime is spending time with his two grandchildren, Will and Vivian. He takes them golfing, draws Wile E. Coyote stories on paper napkins, and takes them on annual trips to Disney World. They are inquisitive and tech-savvy, traits they must have acquired from their grandfather.

With the advent of COVID-19, he helped his grandchildren with their mathematics, creating supplemental homework assignments and then meeting with them to review their answers. They affectionately named him “Grandpa Math.”

But, this was not the first time he helped family expand their knowledge. He created supplemental chemistry assignments for his daughter. She credits her good grade in chemistry to his extra tutoring. He also was a strong supporter of his daughter’s athletic skills, watching every tennis match and providing coaching tips to improve her game.

Buell also served as an instructor when it came time to teach his daughter to drive a car. His placid and understated demeanor was reassuring as his daughter was quite nervous. A more anxious instructor might have shouted, “Look out for that car right there!” Instead, he would calmly advise, “Do you see that car entering the intersection in front of you? You might want to slow down to avoid hitting it.”

His composure always seemed to alleviate his daughter’s stress. As a father, he always provided a strong shoulder, an attentive ear and wise counsel.

It was the recipient’s integrity, and dedication to family and faith, that left an impression on his daughter. With those strong characteristics, she found her husband . . . who bears the same first name as her Dad.

The following hint left no doubt as to the Lions’ Birch-Sturm winner: “We have paid our membership dues to him as the financial secretary for 26 years,” Moen said. “Just last year, he turned over the reins to another dedicated Lion.

“If you look at a calendar, today is Nov. 9,” he added. “Later this week it will be our recipient’s birthday, three-quarters of a century young. Joining us tonight are his wife Sue, daughter Maile, son-in-law Bob, and grandchildren Will and Vivian.”