He was born in Twin Twp.; the son of Milton H. and Phebe Ann (Reichard) Bierly.

He was a member of the graduating Class of 1910 from Harrison Township High School and went on to receive a BA from Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio in 1914. He was principal of Camden Schools, and later the superintendent of the Somerville Schools, Butler Co., Ohio.

He was united in marriage to Mary L. (Schlotterbeck) Bierly on January 22, 1915 in Eaton, Preble County, Ohio, with whom he is buried beside. To this union, three known children were born: Ralph Leroy Bierly, Jr., Hazel Jean (Bierly) Gildow and James Donald Bierly.

He answered the summons to the spirit world at the age of 35y, 10m, 24d; interment was made on December 16, 1924.
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OBITUARY
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Ralph Leroy Bierly
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Ralph Leroy Bierly, son of Milton and Phoebe A. Bierly, was born January 20, 1889, on the Bierly homestead, four and one-half miles southwest of Lewisburg, Ohio, and died at his home in Somerville, Ohio, Sunday morning, December 14, 1924, aged 35 years, 10 months, and 24 days.

On January 22, 1915, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Schlotterbeck, who, together with their two children, Leroy aged six years, and Jean, aged four years, are left to mourn the untimely death of a devoted and loving husband and father. Other immediate surviving relatives are six brothers and three sisters – Frank of Eaton, Ohio; Benjamin of Dayton, Ohio; Herbert of Crooksville, Ohio; Art, Cleve and Everette (sic) of Lewisburg, Ohio; Mrs. Hattie House of West Alexandria, Ohio; Mrs. Alice Robert and Mrs. Josephine Shields of Lewisburg, Ohio.

The deceased was a member of the 1910 graduating class of Harrison township high school and in 1914 completed the four-years course in Liberal Arts at Otterbein college.

In 1905 he united with the United Brethren church at Lewisburg, Ohio, under the pastorate of Rev. Welmer, and was a faithful member at the time of his death. In 1920 he became affiliated with the I.O.O.F. lodge, also at Lewisburg.

"Dust to the dust! But the pure spirit shall flow
Back to the eternal fountain from whence it came,
A portion of the Eternal."
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The family desires to express its heartfelt thanks to all those who so kindly assisted in deeds of kindness and words of consolation during the sickness and death of their husband and father.

The Family.
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Those from a distance who attended the funeral of Ralph Bierly here Tuesday morning were Herbert Bierly of Crooksville; Charles Shields of Bremen; Mr. and Mrs. E. Schlotterbeck of Lockington and Mrs. Ben Bierly and children of Dayton; Supt. Corey and Mrs. Esther Schlotterbeck of Oxford; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bierly, Mr. and Mrs. Sam'l Minix, Mrs. Elizabeth Williams and Mrs. V.O. Rookstool of Eaton, and Mrs. Bessie House of Gratis. The school board, teachers and pupils of Somerville high school were also in attendance.
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Prominent Citizen
Called By Death
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Noah Wike, Retired Business Man, Dies at Home Here Following Long Illness
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Ralph Bierly, Superintendent of Somerville Schools, Answers Final Summons
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…Ralph Bierly
Ralph Bierly, aged 35 years, 10 months and 24 days, died Sunday morning at his home in Somerville, Butler county, where he assumed the superintendency of the schools last fall. For some years he had been afflicted with diabetes and recently had been injecting serum for this disease into his arm. The injections caused infection which developed into gangrene poisoning and resulted in his death. He taught up until Monday of last week and his condition became critical Friday.

Mr. Bierly was widely known here having been reared in this community and spending some years as a resident of Lewisburg. Graduating from Harrison township high school in 1908, he later attended Otterbein university, Westerville, and graduated from there in 1914 with a Liberal Arts degree. He was married in 1915 to Miss Mary Schlotterbeck of this village.

Surviving him are his widow; one son, Leroy, aged six years, and one daughter, Gene, aged four; three sisters, Mrs. Dan House, southwest of town, Mrs. Alice Roberts (sic; Robert), southwest of here, Mrs. Chas. Shields, Lewisburg, and six brothers, Frank Bierly, Eaton, Ben, of Dayton, Herbert of Crooksville, Art, west of town, and Everett and Cleve, of this place. He was the next to youngest member of the family, Everett being the youngest.

Funeral services were held in the local United Brethren church Tuesday morning with Rev. M. W. Mumma, officiating, assisted by Rev. JP. Hendrix,of New Madison, who was a high school and college mate of the deceased. Mr. Bierly was a member of the local I.O.O.F. lodge and the Order took part in the services. Resolutions of Condolence, drawn up by pupils of the Somerville school, were read at the church.

Burial was made in Roselawn cemetery.