Dundee — My father's Life Story
Words by Matthew Tufts.
Chirping birds and rustling chestnut leaves punctuate a cool autumn morning, the only sounds but for the occasional musings of Frederic Strohl—affectionately known as “Dundee” to his son, Alex Strohl—who methodically cultivates his 70 acre estate in the wooded south of France. Frederic planned to nurture this plot near Ardeche since he bought the land at the age of 18; at 83 years young, it’s been a long process coming, but one he’s looked forward to his entire adult life.
A turbulent early childhood contrasts the quaint, pastoral scene at the estate. Delivered just weeks after his mother made a transatlantic crossing, Frederic Strohl was born in Paris a few years before the start of the Second World War. He vividly recalls sheltering from German bombings in musty basements, living off meager rations in occupied France while his father fought in the covert resistance.
"Dundee — A family connection helped Frederic, his sister, and his mother escape the capital city to the French Alps where quality of life dramatically improved. Fond memories of alpine living filled his formative youth—commuting to school aboard a sled pulled by a Great Dane, learning to ski, indulging in Savoie cheeses—ultimately shaping a connection to life beyond the city that changed his life’s trajectory.
In his late teens, Frederic’s grandmother imparted her love for trees and the south of France; she implored him to settle near her home so that he could carry on the task of caring for the land. At age 18, he purchased a dilapidated plot of adjacent land, knowing it would be a place he’d return to steward, but only after a life experienced abroad.
A chance trip to visit relatives in the United States introduced him to the American West. Enamored by a vastness and scale incomparable to anything he’d seen in Europe, Frederic earned a degree in forest management from Montana State University in Missoula and began work surveying and planning forestry roads. A half century and a generation later, his son, Alex, would map gravel biking routes through Northern Montana. Alex, a new father, may soon pass along their shared passion to his daughter.
Though future employment would take Frederic around the world, he maintained the dream of coming home to care for his estate and the trees his grandmother taught him to love. At the age of 65, Frederic returned to Ardeche, this time for good.
He’s retired now, but spends every day on the property, working with his hands, stewarding the forest. He hasn’t taken a day off in years. The work brings him joy and the movement keeps him in good health. But more than anything, Frederic feels a sense of purpose: the community—hunters, hikers, village locals—benefit from his stewardship. The planet benefits from his retirement plan. And perhaps, one day, it will be passed along family lines, and the next generation will care for the land as he learned from his grandmother
Thank you to Danner Boots for supporting the story and Matthew Tufts for turning my interview of him into this write up.
