Sherrie M. Wiygul

Mrs. Sherrie M. Wiygul peacefully passed away on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at Baptist Golden Triangle Hospital in Columbus, MS. She is survived by her husband, Glenn Wiygul of Louisville, MS, her daughter, Shawn Peters (and husband, Jason) of Sacramento, CA, her son, Eric White (and wife, Gigi) of Boerne, Texas, her brother Bruce MacAllister (and wife, Kathy) of Richmond, VA, her niece, Heather LaJoie, and her three grandchildren, Adair White, Skye Peters and Olive Peters.

 Sherrie was born April 16, 1940, in Boston, MA, to A.R. (Rex) MacAlister and Dorothy Rice MacAlister. Her mother died at the time of Sherrie’s birth and her Aunt Edna came to help raise Sherrie and her older brother Bruce. Edna and Rex married, believing there ought to be two parents and that the love would come with time, which it did. Sherrie moved to Raymond, Maine as a young girl where she spent most of her childhood. Maine was always her happy place and she would return for vacation most summers after retirement. As a young adult, she enjoyed traveling in Europe for a year where she lived with her Aunt Elizabeth who was a foreign service officer. She was able to experience many trips throughout the United States including several Grand Canyon rafting trips down the Colorado River. 

 Sherrie received her B.S. from Louisiana State University and two masters degrees, one from Tulane University and the other from Mississippi State University. She ultimately began teaching at Starkville High School where she found her calling. Sherrie was an innovative biology teacher where she and her beloved colleagues received a National Geographic Society grant to create a biogeography class that integrated biology with local culture and history. Sherrie also earned her National Board Certification and was inducted into the Mississippi Hall of Master Teachers. Sherrie was recognized by the Mississippi State University Commission on the Status of Women as an Outstanding Educator.

 She and her husband of 38 years, Glenn, loved their farm where they raised Katahdin sheep, a breed from Maine known for their hair and meat. Sherrie was very active in her community. She served as a board member for the Oktibbeha County Humane Society and donated her time and energy to The Friends of the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee Wildlife Refuge, the Friends of the Black Belt Prairie, Golden Triangle Kennel Club, and the Mississippi Native Plant Society. Sherrie and her service dog, Sage, were familiar faces in the nursing homes in Starkville and Louisville. She was also a member of Liberty Universalist Church. 

 Memorials may be made to the Oktibbeha County Humane Society (510 Industrial Park Road, Starkville, MS 39759); Friends of the Black Belt Prairie (Mississippi Entomological Museum, Box 9775, Mississippi State, MS 39762) or Liberty Universalist Church, 3269 Bond Road, Louisville, MS,  39339. 

 A celebration of her life will occur in April with details to follow.