Royal William Bierbaum, the son of Roy Christopher and Alma Louise (Bees) Bierbaum, was born November 12, 1932, in Atlantic, IA.  Royal died at the Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines, IA, on September 27, 2021, at the age of 88 years, 10 months, and 15 days.

Royal attended country school and then graduated from Griswold High School with the class of 1950.  After attending Valparaiso for a year, he graduated from Iowa State College with a BS in Agriculture in 1954.  Royal then went to the Army for two years, serving in Korea. In 1956, Royal returned home and began farming with his father.  On April 14, 1957, he was united in marriage to Sondra Hansen.  Sondra passed away in 1981.  On April 22, 1983, Royal was united in marriage to Shirley Frederick Petersen at the Zion Lutheran Church in Atlantic.  They continued to live on the farm.  Royal retired from full time farming in 1998.

Royal was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Atlantic.  He had served the church as a Sunday school teacher, Congregation Chairman, and an elder.  Royal loved restoring Allis Chalmers tractors.  In 2005, he opened his Allis Chalmers Museum, where he had over 40 tractors on display.  Royal was involved with and had served on many different boards and committees, including: Farm Bureau, the School Board, Township Trustee, Fair Board, Lions Club, Griswold American Legion Post #508, a charter member of Griswold Community Dollars for Scholars, and the SW Iowa Endowment.  Royal and Shirley enjoyed traveling and had taken many trips in their motorhome.  Royal had also earned his pilot's license and even owned his own plane for awhile. Royal was very proud of the fact that in 2019, the Bierbuam Farm was recognized as a Heritage Farm for being in the Bierbaum family for 150 years. Royal loved spending time with his family.

Royal is preceded in death by his wife Sondra; and his son John.

He is survived by his wife Shirley of Griswold; his children - Brent Bierbaum and wife Marsha of Griswold, IA, and their children Rachel Hoffman and husband Ryan, Adam Bierbaum and wife Megan, and Joshua Bierbaum and fiance Logan Doty, and Mary Beth Olander and husband Greg of West Des Moines, IA, and their children Jenna and Jessica Olander; his daughter-in-law Sandra Bierbaum of Griswold, IA, and children, Curtis Bierbaum and fiance Natalie McMullin and JJ Bierbaum and wife Hannah; his step children - Mike Petersen and wife Carolee of Flower Mound, TX, and children: Michael Petersen and wife Megan, Kathleen Jones and husband Aaron, and Caroline Petersen, Steve Petersen and Sandy Bice of Nixa, MO, and children: Hallie Petersen-Stokes and husband Jimmie, Katie Hurshman and husband Nicholas, and Cassadie Petersen, Julie Petersen of Council Bluffs, IA, and children, Alyssa Frerichs and husband Kyle, and Aundrea McKenna and fiance Blayze Matley, and Jane Gordon and husband Mark of Springfield, MO, and children Shelby Reynoso and husband Mike and Garrett Gordon; nine great grandchildren; and his sister Miriam Kapfer of Atlantic, IA.  Royal is also survived by many other relatives and friends.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 2, 2021, at 1:30 PM, at the Zion Lutheran Church in Atlantic.  Interment will be in the Pleasant Township Cemetery south of Griswold at 3:30 PM.  Visitation with the family will be at the Griswold Community Building on Friday, October 1, 2021, from 5:30 PM until 8:00 PM.  Royal's family requests that masks be worn to the visitation and funeral service.  Rieken Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold is assisting the family.