Funeral plans for Houston County’s Cullen Talton, the nation’s longest serving sheriff

Caption

Houston County Sheriff Cullen Talton talks about his years as sheriff in a file photo. Talton, 92, was the longest-serving sheriff in the nation.

Credit: Jason Vorhees / The Telegraph

A funeral celebrating the life of Houston County Sheriff Cullen Talton, a self-made lawman who became the nation’s longest serving sheriff, will be Wednesday at Southside Baptist Church in Warner Robins.

Talton, 92, died peacefully at his home Saturday surrounded by his family.

Talton will lie in state from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Tuesday at McCullough Funeral Home, according to his obit. Afterward, at 3 p.m., an escort for Talton followed by a procession will take place from McCullough Funeral Home to Southside Baptist Church.

“To show respect for Sheriff Talton, the community has been invited to line the roadsides on Carl Vinson Parkway during the escort from Leverette Road to Russell Parkway,” the obit reads.

The route will pass by the Sheriff H. Cullen Talton Jr. Building on Carl Vinson Parkway.

Visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Southside Baptist Church at 1040 S. Houston Lake Road.

Wednesday’s funeral at 11 a.m. at Southside Baptist Church will be officiated by Jerry Walls, pastor emeritus at Southside Baptist Church, Jim Perdue, pastor at Second Baptist Church, and Fred McCoy, pastor of Houston Lake Baptist Church.

The funeral is expected to be live streamed on the McCullough Funeral Home Facebook page.

Honoring the family’s wishes, Talton will be laid to rest in a private family burial in Bonaire Cemetery.

Talton’s death came within just a few months of his retirement at the end of the year, marking nearly 52 years at the helm of the sheriff’s office.

Under state law, Chief Deputy Billy Rape is expected to assume command of the sheriff’s office until a new sheriff is sworn in after the Nov. 5 election.

Self-made lawman

Talton — who was a dairy farmer and former county commissioner, including two terms as chairman — hadn’t served in law enforcement prior to his election as Houston County sheriff in 1972.

Already a successful businessman from the dairy farm he and his father started together in 1957, Talton felt he had the experience to manage the department.

Talton saw himself as an administrator.

He campaigned on bringing professionalism to the department, and placed people in administrative positions who served their careers at the sheriff’s office, including Rape.

Talton didn’t believe in micromanagement.

Throughout his career, Talton often credited his success to the men and women who served under his command.

When he first took office on Jan. 1, 1973, the sheriff’s office was primarily responsible for court services and operating what was then a small jail. The entire department had 28 employees.

Today, the sheriff’s office has more than 300 employees with multiple divisions including patrol, traffic, investigations and court services. The sheriff’s office also manages a large jail capable of housing 666 inmates. Additionally, the department is over the E-911 Center.

Talton told The Telegraph once that law enforcement “sort of gets in your blood.”

He was opposed only three times for reelection.

In 2019, Talton was named Sheriff of the Year by the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association.

Earlier this year, the building that houses the sheriff’s annex in Warner Robins, where Talton’s office was located, was renamed the “Sheriff H. Cullen Talton Jr. Building.”

He was married to his high school sweetheart, Peggy Sears Talton, who died on March 21, 2018. They wed in 1950.

“His memory will forever be treasured by his devoted children: Carlene Talton of Decatur, Patty Redmond (Ed) of Marietta, Cully Talton of Perry, and Neal Talton (Ginger) of Bonaire; grandchildren, Kitt Orr (Brandon), Lindsey Farrar, Tal Talton (Amanda), Sydney Morstad; and 10 great-grandchildren; as well as several other beloved extended family members and friends,” his obit reads.

News of Talton’s death resulted in an outpouring of official statements and comments on social media remembering Talton, including from both the current and former mayors of Warner Robins, fellow law enforcement officers and lawmakers.

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The late Cullen Talton, left, pictured alongside Gov. Brian Kemp. Talton served more than 50 years as Houston County’s sheriff.

Credit: Gov. Brian Kemp/X (formerly Twitter).

“Marty, the girls, and I are saddened by the passing of America’s longest serving sheriff, Houston County Sheriff Cullen Talton,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. “For nearly 52 years, Sheriff Talton remained committed to serving and protecting the people of his community and became a beloved fixture of Georgia law enforcement.

“We will keep the Talton family, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and all those made better by his public service in our prayers during this time.”

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with the Macon Telegraph.