Maxwell retires from Baptist

The Alabama Baptist paid a fond farewell to a friend who had been with the paper almost 23 years when Bobbie Maxwell retired May 31.

While employed by the Baptist, Maxwell worked in almost every area of the paper, serving in a variety of behind-the-scenes positions.

Maxwell, who worked in the advertising department at the time of her retirement, started out working as a typesetter.

A member of New Temple Baptist, Bagley, she gained a position at the paper when her previous employer, E.J. Daniels of Daniels’ Golden Press in Ensley, moved her to the Baptist for convenience.

Daniels was printing the paper and Maxwell spent the majority of her time typesetting The Alabama Baptist. So, in 1975, Daniels moved Maxwell and the typesetting equipment into the Baptist building.

“Most of the typesetting was for the Baptist, so it made it more convenient for them,” she said, adding she was placed on the Baptist payroll in 1977.

Maxwell, 65, continued working as a typesetter and helped move the paper toward the computer age in 1993, when it began desktop publishing. Along with her duties in the production of the paper, Maxwell also scheduled all advertising.

In 1996, she moved to the advertising and circulation department full time, and most recently concentrated mainly on advertising.

Along with changes in how the paper is published, she has seen the size of the paper’s staff increase from eight to 14. “Now, it’s computerized, and it takes more of us to do it,” she said, laughing.

Maxwell said she will miss the friendships she has made with fellow employees.

“It’s been the people — it’s family,” she said. “Every time somebody new comes in, it’s just like a new member of the family, it’s not like working anywhere else.”