Robert Schnell Brierly, 87, of Grinnell, died Feb. 10, 2017, at Grinnell Regional Medical Center. A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Grinnell United Methodist Church with the Rev. David Crow officiating. A private family burial was held at St. Andrew’s Cemetery west of Sully prior to the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Jasper County Historical Society in Newton.
Bob was born Mar. 9, 1929, in Newton, the son of Lawrence L. and Freda (Schnell) Brierly. He was raised in Newton and was a 1947 graduate of Newton High School. He attended Iowa State University and graduated in 1952 with a degree in architectural engineering. He was a veteran of the United States Army Corps of Engineers during the Korean Conflict and was stationed at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
Aug. 17, 1954, he was married to Ethel "Sally" Fullen, in Akron, OH. The couple lived in Des Moines and later Carlisle. Bob was employed at N. Clifford Prall Architect in Des Moines. In 1961, he became a registered architect and formed a partnership with Thomas S. Porter Architect and Engineering and their firm was named Porter/Brierly Associates with an office in downtown Des Moines. A few of their major clients included Northwestern Bell Telephone and the University of Iowa Athletic Department. He designed approximately 1,500 projects in Iowa and northern Missouri, which included churches, schools, apartments, and single family dwellings. He designed Cunningham Drug, Grinnell, in 1956.
Bob and Sally raised their three children in Carlisle and then returned to Des Moines. After his retirement in 1998, they moved to a residence in the Rock Creek Lake community, where he served on the Rock Creek Lake Alliance. They moved to the Mayflower Community in the fall of 1999.
Bob was a member of the Grinnell United Methodist Church, Grinnell Rotary Club, Grinnell Model Railroad Club, and the American Philatelic Society. He enjoyed playing tennis, collecting stamps, and traveling throughout the United States, Africa, Europe, and Central and South America.
Survivors include three children, David (Jackie) Brierly of Des Moines, Thomas (Maria) Brierly of Orlando, FL, and Rebecca (John) Barnes of Alexandria, VA; five grandchildren, Jose, Tommy, Kathryn, Hannah, and Jack; two stepgrandchildren, Eric and Melissa; four great-grandchildren, Charlie, Harrison, Janna, and Jethro; and one sister, Ann (Don) Platt of Sioux Falls, SD.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife Sally in 2010.
