On December 31, 2023, Bulloch County Sheriff Administrative Captain Sheryl Hagan officially retired after 50 years of loyal service to the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office and the citizens of Bulloch County.
The Sheriff's office held a retirement ceremony honoring her on December 28th. Friends, family, co-workers, and community members filled the room with well wishes and gratitude for her service.
Bulloch County Sheriff Noel Brown shared with the audience that she has faithfully provided 50 years of excellent service to the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office and citizens of this county.
She began her career with the Bulloch County Sheriffl's Office in 1973 under Sheriff Paul Nevil. She was the first female hired by the Sheriff's office. She then served Sheriff Arnold Ray Akins from 1975 through 2000, Sheriff Lynn Anderson from 2001 through 2017, and Sheriff Noel Brown from 2018 through her retirement.
Early days
When Hagan began her career, the Sheriff's office consisted of three rooms in the Bulloch County Courthouse. Shortly after she began, they lost one of the offices when the county put in a bookkeeping machine and needed the third office. There were five deputies then, and Arnold Ray Akins served as the Chief Deputy.
The jail was located where the state court probation office is now on Hill Street, and a deputy and his family lived in the jail. At 5pm, they would close up the courthouse, and there was a little office in the jail, which is where they worked at night. Deputy Carl Sammons and his wife Linda lived in the jail for years, and Linda cooked the food for the prisoners.
The first free-standing Sheriff's office was built beside the then-jail on Hill street and is the current location of our Magistrate Court. Hagan's final move with the department was to the current location on Hwy. 301 North.
"It has been a journey; a good ride," Sheryl Hagan said. "I tell people I started when I was too young to know better, and I am leaving when I am too old to do better. But seriously, there is nowhere I could have found a better place to work. I would not trade my career for anything. It has been well worth the wait to retire now, but I am going to miss you all. I don't know what I am going to do -- except get in the car and come back. I thank each and every one of you and the citizens of the County for this opportunity and for all the Sheriffs I have had the pleasure to work with."
Retired Sheriff Lynn Anderson and GSP Colonel Billy Hitchens were in attendance.
"Back in the early 70s, Sheryl was the first Pentecostal I ever had the chance to work with. I learned real quick on words you could say and words you couldn't say," said former Sheriff Lynn Anderson. "I let a word slip out one day, and a stapler came by my head. After that we had an understanding. When I got elected, I asked her to stay with me, and she asked me, 'where else am I going to go?'. She knew too much to run off. Like Sheriff Brown said, what would we have all done without you? I could not have survived. She trained one sheriff and he retired. Trained another one. He served for 26 years and retired. Trained another for 15 years, and I retired. And she is still training Sheriff Brown. Thank you for everything you did for me and this department. Have yourself a ball in retirement."
Bulloch Commission Chairman Roy Thompson and Commissioner Jappy Stringer represented the Commission.
"It is hard to believe as young as you look and know you have worked anywhere for 50 years. When the Commissioners needed anything, we always came to you. We will miss you," said Bulloch County Commission Chairman Roy Thompson. "Thank you for your service. 50 years is a long time. You will probably come back in February. Thank you for all you have done for the citizens of Bulloch."
The red gas can
"Every sheriff that I have worked for has passed me off to the next Sheriff. They always said, 'I am leaving behind the red gas can and Sheryl.' That is what I am passing off on you. Today, I want to pass this red gas can off to you, Sheriff Brown," said Sheryl Hagan.
Sheriff Brown asked Sheriff Anderson to explain the significance of the red gas can.
"When Sheriff Arnold Ray Akins retired, he walked into my office and said, 'Congratulations. I am headed home, and I am leaving you Sheryl and this gas can,'" said Sheriff Anderson. "I asked him if [he] could carry one of them with [him]. He said, 'Nope, you can have both of them.'" Sheriff Anderson added, "I cleaned that up a lot."
'If only I could make a difference'
Sheryl felt that if she could make a difference for one person, all of her commitment and work would be validated. She received that when she befriended a girl who had been incarcerated several times. Sheryl would witness to her and pray for her.
She then began seeing her out in the community and invited her to church. When she agreed, Sheryl would go and pick her up and take her to church. She continued to pray over her. The girl eventually moved to Atlanta but came back later to visit her.
"She told me that thanks to my prayers, she is now living for the Lord," said Sheryl. "Transforming her life was the greatest blessing to me. To have touched one person was worth it all."
Sheriff Noel Brown pays tribute to retiring Captain Sheryl Hagan
"I am not what the Sheriff's office is all about. It is not one person," said Sheriff Noel Brown. "It says Sheriff's office, plural. Long after we are all gone, the Sheriff's office will keep going. To do that it takes a pile of people -- people like Sheryl, who has more knowledge in her pinkie finger than all of us combined about the operations of the Sheriff's office."
He continued, "I thank you Sheryl for sharing so much of that knowledge with me. So many serve behind the scenes like Sheryl who don't get the thank yous. She is the one that makes us all look good. It means a lot to have people like Sheryl working so hard for our office and this county. We love you and thank you."
Sheryl joked that no one can fill her shoes, because she wears a 5.5 sized shoe on one foot and 8.5 size shoe on the other foot.
"All of the Sheriffs I served under were great men to work with. They taught me so much. I loved my journey of 50 years and will miss it greatly," said Sheryl. "To the next generation of leaders, I leave you with Colossians 3:17, 'Whatever you do in word or deed do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him.' Love God. Love others. Serve God. Serve others. Try to always keep a positive attitude and remember I am always grateful and thankful for all you do."
