John Bierbaum

John Royal Bierbaum, 57, of Griswold, Iowa, passed away Thursday, June 2, 2016, at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

He was born October 9, 1958, to Royal and Sondra (Hansen) Bierbaum in Council Bluffs, Iowa. John was raised in Griswold on the family farm and attended Griswold Community Schools. He graduated from Griswold High School with the class of 1977. John then attended Iowa State University graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Science. On April 14, 1984, he was united in marriage to Sandra Hallett in Omaha, Nebraska.

John and Sandy made their home in Griswold on the Bierbaum family farm. He had a passion for farming and farmed with brother Brent and father Royal. John was a very Christian man dedicated to Christ and spreading the good news through his many mission trips. John and his family are members of the Evangelical Free Church in Atlantic and enjoyed being a member of the missions committee. He was an EMT and firefighter with the Griswold Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department, a past hospital board member at CCMH and a 4-H club leader for many years. Being the devoted father and husband he was, his greatest love was spending time with his family.

He and his father, Royal, enjoyed collecting and restoring antique Allis Chalmers Tractors. Together they operated a tractor museum in Griswold. John was very active in school and participated in many athletics and was class president. John was proud of his community and was very involved. He was always willing and able to lend a helping hand to friends, family, and anyone in need. In his free time he enjoyed spending time with family and friends boating at the Lake of the Ozarks.

John is survived by his wife, Sandra Bierbaum of Griswold, IA; his sons, Curtis (friend, Tanya Williams and her son, Trenton) Bierbaum and JJ (fiancé, Hannah Thomsen) Bierbaum all of Griswold; father, Royal (Shirley) Bierbaum of Griswold; parents-in-law, Elizabeth Howard of Fairfield Bay, AR, and Ron (Dee) Hallett of Percival, IA; brother, Brent (Marsha) Bierbaum of Griswold; sister, Mary Beth (Gregg) Olander of Des Moines, IA; sisters-in-law, Sharon (Todd) Wiest of Erie, CO, and Patty (K.D.) Smith of Locust Grove, AR; step-brothers and sisters, Mike (Carolee) Petersen of Flower Mound, TX, Steve Petersen of Nixa, MO, Julie Petersen of Cedar Rapids, IA and Jane (Mark) Gordon of Republic, MO; many nieces, nephews other relatives and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Sondra Bierbaum; his grandparents, Roy and Alma Bierbaum and Clarence and Edith Hansen; a brother-in-law, Michael Hallett; and his uncles, Philip Kapfer, Richard Hansen and Maynard Jensen.

John's family asked that memorials be given to the family in lieu of flowers, for them to designate at a later time per John's wishes.

Visitation with family will be from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, June 7, 2016, at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa.

Memorial services will be at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, June 8, 2016, at the Evangelical Free Church in Atlantic, Iowa. A private burial of ashes will take place at a later time.