Thursday, April 21, 2011

UIS employee devotes life to helping co-workers, feral cats

Normajean Niebur has been told there must be an invisible sign on the roof of her home that reads, “Come one, come all.”

Niebur, an office support specialist in public affairs and administration at the University of Illinois Springfield, was honored last week by the university and the Junior League of Springfield for her efforts at helping others.

“She doesn’t worry about herself,” said Ann Cole, a staff clerk in experiential and service learning at UIS who nominated Niebur for the honor. “She’s always worrying about everybody else.

“I just had surgery, and she sent me flowers and a card,” Cole said. “She has such a caring attitude.”

Niebur’s efforts aren’t limited to humans.

She and her husband, Larry, originated the feral cat program on campus in 2001 and have seen the number of feral cats — those with no human socialization — dwindle to one.

Niebur was featured in an April 21, 2011, article in The State Journal-Register.

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