Ina Annie Branch was born January 25, 1915 to James and Mable Wiggins.
She passed away on August 22, 2006.
She was born at Harper's Camp (now Horsefly) and she would correct you if you said she was born in Horsefly.
Ina grew up at Miocene on the ranch that her parents carved out of the wilderness. She attended school at Miocene and for high school she stayed in Williams Lake.
Ina loved life in the Cariboo and would never consider living anywhere else. Ina loved the ranch life and could do any job that came up.
She could stack hay, feed cattle in the winter, mend fences or do whatever came her way. It didn't matter to her. Ina was just as at home outside working as she was inside doing housework.
Ina married Dick Branch in 1936 and they lived at Saucer Lake a.k.a. Fish Lake and Summit Lake. By 1941 they had four boys: Peter, Dick, Bill and Don.
That same year, Dick joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and was off to war. They expected the war to be over in a year and he would be back home.
It didn't turn out that way though. Dick came home in 1945 when the war was over.
During this time when he was away, the Miese place came up for sale. Ina wanted it so that the boys would be closer to school.
So being the determined person she was she put a bid on it and her bid was successful, so she packed up the boys and moved in.
Dick came home from the Air Force and started ranching again, but money was always short and in 1948 he went to work at Horsefly Lake and came home on weekends to help Ina with the work and see his family.
In 1950 David was born and a year later along came Randy. In 1958, they sold the ranch and moved to Horsefly Lake.
They lived there until 1966 then moved to the 150 where Ina lived until her passing.
Ina was predeceased by her sons Dick in 1959, Bill in 1982 and David in 1996. Dick passed away in 1997.
Ina leaves to mourn sons Peter, his wife Leslie, Don and his wife Joyce, and Randy and his wife Audrey; 10 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren all who loved to go visit her at her home at the 150.
Her brother Wiley Wiggins from Saskatchewan, sister Ida, and brother-in-law, Len Ford, from Kamloops, and brother-in-law Jeff Branch who resides in Seattle.
Ina had many, many nephews and nieces as well as cousins from eastern Canada and the United States.
She also leaves behind her Women's Institute friends and a vast number of friends from her church and the community.
All of her family and friends were very important to her.
Ina was an avid volunteer in the community.
She belonged to the Women's Institute for many years. She also worked with the Timmis organization for the handicapped. In 1999 she was the Remembrance Day Silver Cross Mother.
In 1979, Ina was nominated the Citizen of the Year for Williams Lake.
Ina will be missed by all who knew her.