WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — If flowers are love's truest language, then the impact Sheriff Cullen Talton left behind speaks loud and clear.
Monday, the florists at Forget Me Not put together bouquets and flower vases full of love for the sheriff.
"Sheriff Talton has been around for decades upon decades, a great fixture in the area," Matthew Tatman said.
Tatman owns the Forget Me Not store. He says calls of love sprouted in their office from the moment Talton's passing was announced.
"Our website was starting to get orders over the weekend," he said.
Orders continued to come in on Monday, of community members looking to share condolences.
The florists got to work Monday, working to get everything together for the visitation and funeral services later in the week.
With longtime community ties themselves, Tatman says it's only right to be a part of the community's efforts to honor the late sheriff.
"Forget Me Not has been around since 1959 and Sheriff Talton has been around for over 50 years, so I'm just glad to be a part of the community and pay our respects," he shared.
The sheriff will lie in state at McCullough Funeral Homes from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
After, a motorcade will drive Talton through town. It will start on Houston Lake Road at the funeral home, go down Leverett Road, down to Carl Vinson Parkway, to Russell Parkway and then to Southside Baptist Church.
The church will host a visitation at 4:00 p.m.
There you will see some of the arrangements community members purchased from Forget Me Not.
People throughout the Houston County community continue to remember the life of America's longest serving sheriff.
Many people continue to share condolences to the family, and kind words about the sheriff.
A statement from Houston County Coroner James Williams says in part:
"I am the person I am today because of the life lessons that Sheriff Talton instilled in me. I have never known a man to love his community the way that he did. Sheriff Talton treated everyone with respect and was a fair and just man. He dedicated his entire life to serving the citizens of Houston County and he taught me to do the same. My thoughts and prayers remain with his family and law enforcement family during this difficult time."