Elmus Louise Smith Panting, 95 of Soda Springs, Idaho passed away peacefully in Soda Springs, Idaho. She was born April 20, 1925 the daughter of David Edward Smith and Isabelle Leone Medford Smith at home in Grace, Idaho.

As a young girl, she and her sister LaRue worked hard outside feeding and milking cows and trapping squirrels and rock chucks to earn $.02 and $.05 a tail for extra spending money.  She loved her tap and dance lessons and traveled the area with a dance team.  Elmus attended Thatcher High School where she loved playing basketball and softball.

Her older sister LaRue married Ted Beus and he introduced his first cousin, Donald Chriss Panting to Elmus. They were married May 2, 1945 at the bottom of Medford Hill in Niter, Idaho.  During their married life, Elmus and Don lived in Mackey, Idaho where Don worked for the US Department of Agriculture.  They returned to Soda Springs when Don took employment at Monsanto.  They purchased a home in Soda Springs in 1952 where they started their family of 4 children.  They resided there for several years before moving to the farm house on Panting Lane.   There, she enjoyed helping Don on the farm driving grain trucks and feeding the hired hands lunch.  She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

After Dons death in 1981, she returned to their home in Soda Springs where she loved planting flowers and especially loved having lunch with her granddaughters and great granddaughters.

Elmus is survived by a son Michael Panting of Pocatello, Idaho; 3 daughters, Eloise Burke (Bill) of Grace, Idaho; LaRae Wagner Howell (Ronald) of Chubbuck, Idaho; Lorri Lish (Curt) of Soda Springs, Idaho; 8 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, and 5 great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant daughter, her husband, a sister LaRue and nephew RJ Beus.

Viewing for family and friends will be at 10 am-10:45 July 16, 2020 at Sims Funeral Home. Funeral service/graveside will be conducted at 11 at Fairview Cemetery.

The family would like to thank Edgewood, Encompass Home Health, and Lani Sant for always making her hair beautiful.