In Memory of Sheriff Henry Cullen Talton, Jr.
Floor Speech
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Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor and remember a loving husband and father, doting grandfather and great-grandfather, lifelong public servant, the longest tenured sheriff in the United States of America, and my friend of long standing, the Honorable Henry Cullen Talton, Jr. Sadly, he transitioned from labor to reward on Saturday, October 19, 2024. The funeral service honoring and celebrating Sheriff Talton's life will be held on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at Southside Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Georgia.
Sheriff Talton was born to the union of Henry Cullen Talton, Sr. and Lois Ammons Talton on October 16, 1932, in Bonaire, Georgia. Early on in his adult life Sheriff Talton began his career as a middle Georgia dairy farmer before making a successful run for the Houston County Commission. In 1972, he won his first term as Sheriff of Houston County, and he would go on to win 12 additional successive terms in his lifetime. For nearly 52 years, Sheriff Talton served as Houston's top law enforcement officer, and he became nationally known as America's longest-tenured sheriff.
Rarely seen wearing his sheriff's badge or his firearm, Sheriff Talton was truly a man of the people. His commitment to fostering public safety and building relationships with the people he served earned him the respect and admiration of both the people of Houston County and the Georgia law enforcement community. Sheriff Talton presided over the Houston County Sheriff's Department during a period of substantial population growth in the county. Throughout his tenure, Sheriff Talton made sure his department was responsive, effective, and on the cutting edge of law enforcement. At the time of his election as sheriff in 1972, Houston County was home to about 63,000 people; today, the county is home to nearly 170,000 people.
As Sheriff, Talton made a point to engage with and collaborate with leaders from across the state in order to improve public safety for all. He actively contributed to various organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Sheriffs' Association and the Georgia Sheriffs' Youth Homes where he received special recognitions multiple times for his fundraising initiatives. Throughout his career, Sheriff Talton was honored with numerous awards, including the Golden Eagle Award (2010); the Meritorious Service Master Award (2022); the President's Award from the Georgia Sheriffs Association; the Warner Robins/Houston County Chamber of Commerce Good Government Service Award; the Liberty Bell Award; and was named Sheriff of the Year in 2019.
Sheriff Talton contributed so much to his community and accomplished so much in his life, but none of it would have been possible without the Grace of God, and the love and support of his family, to include his late wife of 68 years, Peggy; his devoted children, Carlene Talton, Patty Redmond (Ed), Cully Talton, and Neal Talton (Ginger); grandchildren, Kitt Orr (Brandon), Lindsey Farrar, Tal Talton (Amanda), Sydney Morstad; along with 10 great-grandchildren.
Sir Winston Churchill often said: ``You make your living by what you get; you make your life by what you give.'' Sheriff Talton gave so much to so many for so long. His over 50 years of servant leadership on behalf of the people of Houston County has left his community stronger, more prosperous, and more secure. Truly, the world is a better place because Sheriff Henry Cullen Talton, Jr. passed this way.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join my wife, Vivian; and me, along with the more than 765,000 people of Georgia's Second District. in celebrating the life of Sheriff Henry Cullen Talton, Jr. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, loved ones and all who mourn his loss. We pray that they all will be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
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