If Chris Ozbirn was an airplane, she'd assuredly be a B-2 stealth bomber.
Ozbirn, the Director of the Franklin County Archives, died late Wednesday night. Ozbirn was 75.
Like a stealth bomber, the work Ozbirn did was important and it was done almost always without detection, just the way the B-2 was designed to do its job.
Not one to seek fanfare, Ozbirn quietly served as Director of the Franklin County Archives for 20 years. She also served as Franklin County Historian for three decades.
If it had to do with promoting the history of Franklin County, you can bank on it—Ozbirn was there.
Ozbirn was diligent about contacting local media, including the Franklin Free Press, to notify them of upcoming events. She would greet reporters at the events with a smile and a request to 'take other people's pictures' who helped plan the events rather than credit flowing to her.
When Franklin County celebrated its bicentennial in 2018, Ozbirn chaired a committee that planned and organized numerous events to celebrate the county's history.
Included among those was the series, 'The Way We Were.' Ozbirn and the committee hosted the Franklin County Pioneer Day at Sloss Lake in May 2018. This event depicted how pioneers who settled in and around Franklin County lived.
It was a wonderful window into history and Pioneer Day did not go unnoticed in Montgomery, as 'The Way We Were' received the prestigious Alabama Bicentennial Commendation Award.
“We did everything we could to promote the history of Franklin County,” Ozbirn said after receiving the award.
Her dedication did not start, or stop, with the bicentennial celebration though. The Franklin County Archives and American Legion Post 64 partnered to sell military banners that are displayed in downtown Russellville on light poles for Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day. Russellville Mayor David Grissom said Ozbirn was instrumental in making that project a success.
“Chris loved the Franklin County Archives and enjoyed helping people in the City of Russellville and Franklin County every day. She was passionate about her work. I really enjoyed working with her as mayor, from the Bicentennial to working to establish the Veterans' banners for downtown Russellville, to historic markers to her work with cemeteries throughout the city and county,” Grissom said.
“She was always doing her best to make things better for our communities. She was a true friend who will be missed,” he added.
Ozbirn is survived by her two children, Thomas Johnson and Buffie Ozbirn, her brother James Adair (Hickory, N.C.) and her grand 'fur' baby Jody.
Rep. Jamie Kiel worked with Ozbirn on many projects that promoted and brought attention to the history of Franklin County.
“Chris was passionate about preserving the history of Franklin County. Her efforts will be noted for years to come with the many markers and monuments she worked so hard to place in significant locations,” Kiel said.
“Chris was a good friend to me and we worked together on many projects in both Franklin and Colbert counties. My thoughts and prayers are with Buffie and Tommy and the rest of her family, as well as the Colbert Heights community,” he added.
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