Sophie Miller Panasuk was born at home on May 8, 1920, in the Sunlight area east of Lovell, Wyoming, as the 8th child to Russian immigrant parents, Gottfried and Sophie Miller. Her older siblings were Elizabeth and Johann, who died of diphtheria as children in Kind, Russia; Dorothea and Fred, who immigrated to America with her parents; and Katharine, John, and Theresa who were born in America. After Sophie, Hermina and Emilie followed. Sophie attended schools in Deaver, Cowley, and Lovell, Wyoming. Her confirmation classes were in German, and she was confirmed in the Lutheran faith. She spent her youth helping with sugar beet and bean farming but enjoyed playing with the farm animals and swimming in the irrigation ditches. In 1938, Sophie graduated from Lovell High School.
Also, in 1938, she met Paul Panasuk, from Bainville, Montana, at a Luther League meeting. Paul was in the Lovell area working for German farmers. Love followed and they were married December, 6, 1939, in Lovell, Wyoming, and moved to Bainville. In 1941, they bought their farm one mile east of Bainville. Around the same time, they moved to Glasgow, Montana, where Paul worked as a brakeman for the Great Northern Railroad and Sophie as a telephone operator. In the fall of 1947, they moved to their farm and spent the next 37 years there. They raised a variety of farm animals and crops and, for a few years, operated a bar in Bainville. Their first child was Paul Dwight, followed by Pamela, Barbara, Kirk, Lyle, and Drew. In the fall of 1984, Sophie and Paul moved into Bainville. In 1989, Paul and Sophie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a party and dance at the Bainville School.
Sophie was a member of First English Lutheran Church in Bainville where she taught Sunday School for many years. Each Sunday morning, she faithfully listened to the Lutheran Hour on the radio. She was an active member of the Bainville Homemakers and enjoyed many trips to Woman’s Week in Bozeman. She enjoyed caring for the animals, gardening, having grandchildren come to visit, and going to aerobics at the Bainville School.
Paul passed away in 1990. Sophie stayed in Bainville until 2012, when she moved to The Lodge in Sidney, Montana. She enjoyed living at the The Lodge until her passing on May 4, 2022, just 4 days short of her 102nd birthday.
Sophie is survived by four children: Paul Dwight Panasuk (Rosemary), Pamela Torgerson (Clifford), Kirk Panasuk (Merna), and Lyle Panasuk; eight grandchildren: Sheradawn Panasuk Sullivan, Preston Oyloe, Leanne Torgerson Perez, Carolyn Torgerson, Christopher Torgerson, Shelly Panasuk Salvevold, Casie Panasuk, and Sasha Panasuk Jeffrey; 21 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Sophie was preceded in death by her parents, Gottfried and Sophie Miller; husband, Paul; daughter, Barbara Oyloe (Ronnie); son, Drew; granddaughter, Kristy Oyloe; and all of her siblings.

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