HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Those who admired, loved, and respected Houston County Sheriff Cullen Talton gathered to say their final goodbyes at his funeral on Wednesday.
Sheriff Talton passed away Saturday after serving 13 terms in office - with 52 years as sheriff. People remembered him not only as the nation's longest serving sheriff, but they also remembered him as a friend, mentor and a family man.
At Southside Baptist Church in Warner Robins, about 1,800 people attended the funeral.
"I loved him like he was a grand-dad," Tammy McGhee said. "He's really gonna be missed. The county and the nation lost a great man."
McGhee remembers Talton as not only a great man, but a great friend to her dad, Colonel Rueben James Mcghee.
"My dad was one of the few African-Americans that were hired when he took office," Kelly said.
She said Talton's funeral brought back memories of how Talton was there for her when her own dad died in 2021.
"The sheriff set up everything. I didn't have to do anything, and even after my dad passed, the sheriff continued to check on me and my kids," Kelly said.
She wasn't the only one who shared many stories of Talton's kindness.
"He loved this county from the bottom of his heart and he was, he was so good to the people in it," Larry Snellgrove said.
He said he worked on the sheriff's first campaign and became one of his first deputies.
"He served us well. He was always there. Anything that you needed. If you needed to talk to somebody, he was just a good person to go by and talk to," Snellgrove said.
52 years is nothing shy of extraordinary, and people we spoke with at the funeral said they'd be surprised if any other sheriff surpasses his legacy.
After the funeral ended, his loved ones buried Talton at a private ceremony at Bonaire Cemetery. Sheriff Talton turned 92 just three days before his death.