Norma Cunningham well-respected journalist who 'seemed to know everybody'
GALESBURG — Norma Cunningham is remembered as a woman who mentored many, was a friend and confidant to numerous city, county and state officials and an award-winning journalist for The Galesburg Register-Mail for over 30 years.
Cunningham, who retired as The Register-Mail's associate editor in 1994, died last week at the age of 94.
"We hired her back from the Peoria Journal Star in 1979 to become editorial page editor for The Register-Mail," said former publisher John Pritchard. "She was instrumental in that.
"She set up community columnists, which is something we'd never had before. She was a well-respected, serious journalist who did a first-class job."
Cunningham's visitation will be held at Hinchliff-Pearson-West funeral home from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Saturday. A memorial service will follow.
Former Register-Mail Editor Bob Harrison worked with Cunningham for much of his 39-year career at the newspaper.
"She was a good friend, a good personal friend," Harrison said.
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"She just seemed to know everybody. She knew the county clerk, the city manager, the cops and she could be tough when she needed to be."
Cunningham's husband Russ, was the newspaper's longtime advertising manager and the couple were devoted University of Illinois sports fans who held season tickets.
Cunningham worked her first stint for The Register-Mail as a reporter before moving to the Peoria Journal-Star for a time.
When she returned to the Register-Mail, she was more than just editorial page editor.
She wrote an advice column called "Dear Penney" and among her projects was a popular annual one-day seminar for Galesburg-area high schools students who showed an interest in journalism.
"Her identify as 'Dear Penney' was supposed to be anonymous — and it was for awhile anyway," recalled Pritchard, who noted that Cunningham was close friends with his mother Barbara.
And her cultivation of news sources never failed to impress.
"I remember it was probably the early 1980s and I was on the economic development council and we had a meeting and by the time I left the meeting and got back to the office, she knew what had gone on at the meeting," said Pritchard.
On at least once occasion, she relied on a source for a little help.
Harrison recalled the day he decided to start taking flying lessons over the objections of his worried wife and made plans to drive out to the airport.
Instead, he ended up at the Steeplechase bar where he spent the afternoon while his wife fretted at home.
"Norma made sure they put a cop car outside the Steeplechase and followed me home," recalled Harrison.
Cunningham was also a well-known mentor to young reporters.
"I had a lot of good mentors but she was the best I had," said Rob Buck, who started his career as a regional reporter, eventually advancing to local news editor.
"She really took me under her wing and guided me."
Cunningham's hands-on influence extended beyond the newspaper.
"She was like a grandma to me or a second mom. There wasn't anything we couldn't talk about," said Deb Clague, who as longtime manager at Hardees. She got to know Russ and Norma from their daily stops for coffee and biscuits.
"Sometimes she'd give advice whether you wanted it or not."
Clague kept close contact with Cunningham after her retirement and Russ' passing in 2013.
"She always made you feel good about yourself," Clague said. "She mentored people in ways they didn't even know she was doing it."
Clague helped care for Cunningham during the last few months.
"She fought to the end and she was going to be in control of how that went," Clague said. "What a great lady. She had tons of friends around her."
This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Norma Cunningham a respected journalist who 'seemed to know everybody'
