Arlie Binkley was Grandma’s brother-in-law, but he was also one of my grandfather’s two best friends. From everything I’ve learned, I’d say he’s the better of the two — which is saying something, considering that the other was the bishop.
The little I remember of Uncle Arlie was that he was a very kind and gentle man who welcomed us warmly to the farm. Sometimes I got to ride with him on the tractor. The last time, I think, was the year he tried to raise popcorn. Did we get to ride in the wagon while he drove down the rows with the harvester?
He got increasingly debilitated by the advance of ALS, and Dad was with him when he finally passed over.
Uncle Arlie’s death and funeral were the first in my awareness.
This portrait is stamped on the back, Studio of the Rike-Kumler Co., which was Dayton’s leading department store.
Orphan George 