HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — On Saturday, the Houston County Sheriff's Office announced that America's longest-tenured sheriff Cullen Talton died at the age of 92.
Since then, tributes have been pouring in for the Houston County sheriff.
These are some of the reactions from friends, colleagues and admirers, who say Talton was a one-of-a-kind lawman who cared most about serving the community.
Willie Talton - Retired Houston County Chief Deputy
Willie Talton and Cullen Talton had no choice, but to be close. The two served together for years, as Willie Talton came to Houston County in 1972 when Cullen Talton was elected as sheriff and eventually became his right-hand man for 32 years.
"I couldn't ask for a better person in my life than to work with him." Willie Talton said. "He was a great man. Good guy, good leader... He taught me much and I'm sad of his death."
Willie Talton recalled how great of a leader the sheriff was. He remembers how Cullen Talton always allowed everyone to do their job to the best of their ability.
His favorite message the sheriff preached was that the sheriff's office was for the people. He said Cullen Talton always said "the job was the people's," and that 'he was hired to manage it." Willie Talton said that no matter how negatively people felt about law enforcement, his former co-worker and friend was always dedicated to serving the community.
"He was just a good man." he said. "I can't say enough about him as far as the caliber person he was, but he was a friend to this county, (which) he really cared about. He always made sure that they knew that he was there for them to help in any way that he could."
Alan Everidge - Perry Police Chief
The current chief of the Perry Police Department worked with Talton for around 30 years. He said he'll always remember the man fondly.
"Impact not only the Houston County Sheriff's Office, but the community as a whole and the law enforcement profession as a whole," Everidge said. "I had the good fortune of working for him for 32 years, and he had a significant impact on my life and my career. He's going to be missed."
Everidge remembered that Talton took office when he was just a kid. He recognized that Talton's replacement would have big shoes to fill.
"I told him when he said he was not running again; it's sort of like somebody trying to take over for Nick Saban. It's gonna be hard to walk in." Everidge said. "He always gave credit back to the people and always reminded us that the office belonged to the people. He's gonna be missed."
Randy Toms - Mayor of Warner Robins (2014 - 2022)
As the former Mayor of Warner Robins. Toms worked closely with Talton for many years. Toms even crossed paths with him a few times during his over 20-year stint on the Warner Robins Fire Department before he retired to run for mayor.
"I've known Sheriff Talton for about 40 years," Toms said. "I was friends, probably for 45 years, with his son Neal and his wife, and we're just friends with the family; Sheriff Talton has always been kind to us. Very nice to us."
Toms remembers going into Talton's office for advice from time to time. He said the sheriff was always very comforting and supportive and was always "very, very good to me."
He said that anytime he felt things weren't going right or he was upset, he could go right up to Talton's office and he'd be happy to lend an ear to Toms or anyone else, according to the former mayor.
"As long as he served, that's a testament to how much he cared about our community and cared about the people that served with him in the Sheriff's Department," Toms said. "You don't hang out that long and serve a community that long if you don't have a deep love for the community and a deep love for the people that work with you and the people that work around you. Sheriff Talton, to me, is the epitome of somebody that loved his community. He didn't have to spend time talking to me, but he did and he did that with so many people. His passing is a big blow to the community."
Larry Walker - Former Georgia State Representative
Walker was very close with the former Houston County sheriff. He. knew Talton back when he was in the farming industry.
"We had a long relationship with them and thought very highly of the whole family," Walker said.
Walker said that he remembers Talton fondly. He said that the sheriff ran 'a tight ship' and that "he's gonna be hard to replace."
"What I liked about Talton, he had a lot of common sense," Walker said. "He would listen to what you had to say regardless of what it was. He was soft-spoken, he didn't try to bowl people over. He had a good way about him. He was loved by the vast majority of people in Houston County and they will miss him greatly."
Chuck Shaheen - Mayor of Warner Robins (2010 - 2014)
Shaheen has always been close with Talton. He remembered working on the Talton family farm at times and learning the grind of being a dairy farmer. He and sheriff Talton's son Neal Talton were in each other's weddings, so Shaheen and the Talton family were very close.
"His character is impeccable, a role model," Shaheen said. "He treated everybody with the utmost respect. He had a way of making you feel good about yourself, but he also sent a message to those that came to our county that wanted to cause trouble. He made sure it was very clear that he had no exceptions, that everybody was gonna be treated fair, but firm. I would compare him to my father as far as someone of the utmost highest character and integrity."
Shaheen recalled many times when Talton wouldn't hesitate to help out, whether it was car troubles, a pest in the yard, or if you needed someone to just be there. He recalled June 16, 1993, the day his father died. Talton came out the same day to comfort Shaheen and his mom.
A month ago, Shaheen said he and many others came together to host a luncheon to celebrate the man Talton was.
"We gave an opportunity to just let the sheriff know what he means to us," Shaheen said. "He got very emotional because we wanted to give him a chance to let him know what we really felt about him. Sheriff Talton is more than a sheriff. He's your friend, and he's a friend to all the citizens of Houston County."
Brett Evans - Former Warner Robins Police Chief
As the former police chief of the Warner Robins Police Department, Evans worked very closely with Talton and had nothing but great things to say about him.
"A one-of-a-kind man," Evans said. "I believe I'm a fairly articulate person and yet it's definitely a struggle to find the words and describe the type of impact that he had not just in Houston County, but statewide."
Evans remembered Talton as an inspiring mentor whose "influence is legendary." The former police chief struggled to find the words for the man who he said was so influential both in the law enforcement, and the whole Houston County community.
"What a great open-door person that he was," Evans said. "Anytime there was a problem I didn't understand how to navigate, I could always count on the advice of Sheriff Talton."
Dan Perdue - Houston County Commission Chairman
Like many who grew up in Houston County, Perdue said he's felt like he's known Talton his whole life. Both the Perdue and Talton families live in Bonaire and both grew up around agriculture, so Dan Perdue got to see the kind of person Cullen Talton was.
"He was so selfless and was willing to very quickly deflect praise to those around him and his employees and staff and was really concerned about what was best for Houston County," Perdue said.
Perdue, who was also at the recent luncheon honoring Talton, remembers how sharp and affable the sheriff was. Even during Hurricane Helene, which swept the state and caused widespread damage, Perdue said Talton was ready to help in any way he could for the county he cared so much about.
Perdue said he'll look back on that luncheon fondly, as it brings back memories from back in the day.
"They were sharing stories and having a good time, and that's how I'll remember the sheriff, as someone who was kind and friendly and loved to reminisce about the old days," Perdue said.
Social Media Statements
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp
The Georgia governor was the first person to announce that Talton died. He released a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Houston County Sheriff's Office
Houston County Sheriff candidate and Houston County captain Matt Moulton released a statement that Talton died peacefully Saturday morning at his home. He added that funeral information would be released at a later date.
"We are deeply saddened to announce that Sheriff H. Cullen Talton, Jr. passed away peacefully this morning at his home," the statement said. "Information regarding funeral services will be provided at a later date. Please keep Sheriff Talton’s family in your thoughts and prayers."
The Sheriff's Office also put out a statement on Facebook.
Warner Robins Police Department
The police department put out their own statement on Facebook in response to the sheriff offices'. It is as follows:
Bibb County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff David Davis and the rest of the Bibb County Sheriff's Office put out a statement, which included a statement from Davis himself.
“It is with great sadness that I learned of Sheriff Cullen Talton’s passing," the statement said. "Throughout my career in law enforcement and particularly during my time as sheriff, Sheriff Talton has been a mentor, encourager, and friend. Law enforcement has lost a true giant in our profession. On behalf of the members of the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, I send our deepest condolences to Sheriff Talton’s family and to the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.”
The full statement is below.