WILCOX COUNTY, Ga. — American flags lined the road to the Wilcox High School Gym on Saturday evening as friends, family, and community members came to pay respects to Sheriff Robert Rodgers.
Rodgers died Tuesday after losing control of his car and crashing into a tree.
Related: Wilcox County mourning the loss of 'irreplaceable' Sheriff Robert Rodgers who died in crash
13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha spoke to folks remembering him.
“Parking lots here are completely full. It's bumper to bumper traffic and it's still a good 30-40 minutes away from the funeral,” said Doug Carter.
Carter works at Wilcox County High School and he and his family are just one of many heading to the gymnasium.
“This is a small community-- a very tight community– and the people here, we pull together in times like this,” he said.
It's all for Sheriff Robert Rodgers.
He died Tuesday after losing control of his vehicle and crashing into a tree on the way to a call, according to the Wilcox Sheriff's office.
“He was a friend of mine,” Carter said. “He was a major figure in this community, always had a kind word for you regardless of the situation. He was an incredible person."
Some of his kind words changed people's lives.
“Well, we had a bond,” Shanita Lawson said.
She says one of those changed lives was hers.
"You know, he kept me out of trouble. He called me his daughter, I called him my dad,” Lawson said.
She had just talked to him Tuesday.
“He was like, ‘I love you, stay out of trouble.” I told him I loved him back and I would see him another day. That hurt my heart. It tore my heart,” Lawson said.
It wasn’t just those in town honoring Rodgers.
“We are about an hour and forty minutes [away],” says Lanier County Sheriff’s office Derrik Mcleod.
He says the drive was worth it.
“It's one of our own. It's our family. we're all together in this,” he said.
Mcleod said he didn't know Rodgers that well, but he left a big impression.
“He was, of course, an elected official and the top law enforcement officer in the county. He was nice and always had a smile on his face,” he said.
People say they'll never forget that.
“We're gonna miss him sorely. He was a great human being,” Carter said.
“He will really be missed,” said Lawson.
“Remember that smile that he always had on his face,” Mcleod said.
After the funeral, the family and all the law enforcement vehicles had a procession taking Rodgers to rest at the Christian Home Cemetery.
Reverend Richard Compton officiated the service, and it was followed by Interment in the Christian Home Cemetery with a Presentation of the Honor Guard.
If you would like to honor Rodgers, the Wilcox County Sheriff's Office said instead of sending flowers, Sheriff Rodgers' family would like folks to make donations to the Georgia Sheriff's Youth Foundation.