Cullen Talton, America’s longest serving sheriff, honored at funeral service

Talton was honored for his service to Houston County, not only in his five decades as sheriff, but also in the years prior when he was a county commissioner.

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Hundreds of people gathered inside Southside Baptist Church Wednesday to celebrate the life of America’s longest serving sheriff, Cullen Talton.

Talton was honored for his service to Houston County, not only in his five decades as sheriff, but also in the years prior when he was a county commissioner.

Former Georgia state representative Willie Talton served as chief deputy at the Houston County Sheriff’s Office for the first 32 years of Sheriff Talton’s career. He says without its sheriff, Houston County will never quite be the same.

“He’s a good man,” Talton said. “He had an open-door policy. He would help anybody in the community that he could, and the community is at a great loss.”

Among the speakers at the service was Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.), who referred to Sheriff Talton as a friend. Kemp said Talton’s impact across the state during his decades of leadership will never be duplicated.

“Generations of Georgians, especially here in Houston County, will know his name,” Kemp said. “They will benefit from the peace and public safety he maintained for so many years.”

Kemp said he enjoyed a working relationship with Talton for more than 20 years. He says Talton was not only America’s longest serving sheriff, but also one of the few who “didn’t need a badge or gun because everyone knew who he was and respected him.” Kemp called Talton’s tenure as sheriff a living testament to the importance of serving one’s community.

“What a blessed assurance, and how fortunate we are, to have known and been made better by Sheriff Talton,” Kemp said.