Sandra Parizek
Sandra Kay (Miller) Parizek, 81, of Valley City, gained her wings under the northern lights on November 13th, 2025. She was born on January 19th, 1944, in Seattle, WA to Wilbur and Eva (Dore) Miller, and grew up on the family farm near Gardena, ND. She loved to be outside any chance she could, even getting in trouble on purpose just so her mom would send her out to the garden to weed. She attended school in Gardena, ND, and spent her senior year at the Notre Dame Academy in Willow City, ND.
She married Leonard Parizek on June 19th, 1965, and moved to the small town of Deering, ND. After completing her teaching degree at Minot State College, daughters Cindy and Brenda were welcomed to the family. Despite her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis at the young age of 27, Sandra was very involved in her daughters’ 4-H, dance, sports, and horse shows while living at their farm near Glenburn, ND.
As an adventurous woman who always liked to learn and read, she began a new teaching career in El Paso TX in the 1980s. She taught many grades but always said 2nd grade was her favorite. After surviving breast cancer in the 90s, Sandra continued to teach, but as her MS symptoms worsened, she moved back to ND, landing in Valley City in 2009 to be closer to her daughters and grandchildren.
Sandra continued to live independently and on her own terms with support from her daughters and the excellent resources at City County Health and South Central Adult Services in Valley City. Sandra never met a stranger and was known to travel the streets on her motorized wheelchair; sharing stories and smiles with the many people she met along the way.
Please join us for her celebration of life on January 19th at 2:00pm in St. Raphael’s Chapel, 979 Central Ave. N, Valley City, ND. The burial for her and Leonard will be on July 4th in Bottineau, ND. Since the skies were brilliant with northern lights on the evenings of both of their earthly departures, we plan to light up the skies in their memory.
Sandra is survived by daughters Cindy Ross, Brenda (Erik) Bjork; grandchildren Brandon, Austin, and Mikaylah Ross, and Amanda, Rylee, and Haylee Bjork; brother Harold (Helen) Miller; sisters Pat Lintner, Joyce (Wayne) LaCasse, and by the many friends and relatives that she held dear.
Sandra is preceded in death by her husband Leonard Parizek, parents Wilbur and Eva Miller, and sister Connie Hennings. An online guestbook is available at www.lerudmathias.com
Published by The Minot Daily News, January 10, 2026.