Quoted as being, “Buford’s Living Legend”, he truly lived up to the title. He was born as a twin in 1925 (brother Hurley was born crippled) to Jesse Lee and Pearl Dutton Biffle on Leather Street in Buford.

Growing up in the depression was hard. His father had health problems and his brother was crippled. At the tender age of 14, Earley went to work for the city of Buford to support his family. It was a job he would stay at for over 50 years in a variety of positions.

He first started as a garbage collector and went to reading meters for the city. He went from that to being over the electrical department. He ran the Buford Water Works and was a volunteer firefighter. Mr. Biffle was also over the water and sewage department for many years. If is was broken, he knew how to fix it.

He proudly served as commissioner of the Buford Housing Authority, the Buford Community Thrift Shop, and the food co-op. He was a lifetime member of the New Bethany Baptist Church. He also worked with their food bank mission. He was very proud to be a Mason. He was a devoted husband, father, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and friend.

His greatest thrill in his later years was to be involved with the Church of God Operation Compassion Food Bank and volunteering at the Humane Society of Hall County.

Upon retiring as City Manager in 1990, he was awarded a certificate from the Governor of Georgia and it was declared “Earley Biffle Day.”

His life was all about the town that he loved and its citizens. He grew up poor, and when he made it up through all of the ranks, he never, ever forgot what it was like to be without. He will be missed.

The above tribute to Early Biffle was written by his daughter, Teresa Duncan.

The Earley Biffle collection is on loan to the museum from his daughter, Teresa Duncan and her family.