Cyril John Wierengo, Jr. of Columbus, Mississippi, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away Saturday, March 7 ^th , on his 80 ^th birthday.

Visitation will be Monday, March 09, 2020, from 6:00-8:00 PM at Lowndes Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Tuesday, March 10, 2010, at 2 p.m. at Fairview Baptist Church, with Bro. Tommy Gillon and Bro. Sammy Crawford officiating. Dr. Archie D. Hooper IV, a physician, and Dr. John's former student will deliver the eulogy. Interment will be in Memorial Gardens with Lowndes Funeral Home directing. The body will lie in repose at the church for one hour prior to the service.

Dr. John was born March 7, 1940, in Nicholson, Mississippi to the late Cyril John and Mary Helen Thigpen Wierengo. He graduated from Picayune High School in 1958, and earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science from The University of Southern Mississippi. He completed his formal education with a Ph.D. from Mississippi State University, hence becoming affectionately known as Dr. John. He worked as a chemist for a combined 10 years at Dow Chemical, Eka Nobel, and Omnova. He taught chemistry at Mississippi University for Women for 27 years. Following his retirement from MUW, he taught chemistry for a number of years at the University of West Alabama. Dr. John's greatest passion was to teach others, and he was an excellent teacher because he was an excellent learner. He taught Sunday School classes for over forty years, served as a deacon, led Boy Scout troops, served as an auxiliary police officer, served on several church and community leadership committees, judged science fairs, taught powder puff mechanics, and never failed to remember a student's name and hometown. Dr. John was accepted to medical school twice and after much prayer, chose both times to continue teaching so his wife could remain at home with their two children. Dr. John was part of a team that developed patented processes for zip-lock plastic bag closures and for seamless plastic bleach bottles. In 1981, he was the recipient of the first Faculty Member of the Year Award at Mississippi University for Women. He was a member of Fairview Baptist Church and was a former longtime member of First Baptist Church. His hobbies included woodworking, journaling, completing crossword puzzles, photography, and spending time with friends and family. In addition to his parents, Dr. John is preceded in death by a brother- Jimmy Wierengo.

Dr. John is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Elaine Spence Wierengo; his son, Johnny Wierengo (Sherri) of Birmingham, Alabama; his daughter, Marcy Robinson (Terry) of Vernon, Alabama; his sister, Carolyn (Cliff) Blythe of Picayune, Mississippi; his grandchildren, John Mathen Wierengo, Dusty Freeman, Katy Freeman, Caden Robinson, and Chelsea Cantrell.

Pallbearers will be Craig Barfield, Ron Cooke, Dusty Freeman, Caden Robinson, Winford Sanderson, and John Mathen Wierengo.

Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. Carl Doumit, Woody Woodbridge, Dr. John Wierengo's Sunday School class at Fairview Baptist Church, and the staff and faculty of Mississippi University for Women.

Memorials may be made to Palmer Home for Children, P. O. Box 746, Columbus, MS 39703.