Winifred (Win) Lee Pike Branning, a beloved mother, grandmother, and community spirit, passed away peacefully on January 22, 2025, at the age of 83. Her life was a testament to resilience, perseverance, and finding joy in the little things like old fashioned jelly beans (never Jelly Belly), email forwards, and HGTV. She had a sharp eye and a sharper memory and loved jigsaw puzzle afternoons and ambitious crochet projects. Red was her favorite color for everything from kitchenware to Trailblazers to her annually planted petunias.
Win was born in Superior, Montana on June 14, 1941, to Bill and Grace Pike and grew up in their family soda fountain among the ice cream sundaes and Green River phosphates. She was a small-town social butterfly who was crowned homecoming queen and met the love of her life, Ashley, at a local dance. They married in 1961 and soon were blessed with children Wade and Amy.
Wade and Amy were fortunate to have a stay at home mother who loved her job. Win supported their play and learning in big ways and small, always toasting the kids’ saltines in the oven for soup, letting them lick the beaters after making frosting and wrapping them in warm towels and Vick’s Vapor rub when they were sick.
Win’s life was a journey of reinvention. When the family moved to Belgrade she started again and built a new community in the Gallatin valley. After dedicating years to raising her children she learned to drive in middle age and decided to embark on a new career as a pharmacy technician, thriving in the detail-oriented and social environment of the pharmacy (where she loved to bring her grandkids to show off).
Win’s approach to grandparenting was always fun and always involved sugar. The ‘Gkids’ loved exploring kitchen cupboards, crafting and making donuts. She was a talented baker and loved to cook up sweet treats like cinnamon rolls, butter horns, and legendary Black Forest Cakes (if you were good!) to spoil her friends and family.
Retirement with Ash brought new adventures. They went on RV expeditions, wintered in Arizona, took spontaneous shopping trips to Mexico, and most importantly, moved closer to their grandchildren in Helena where they loved hosting family events like the 4th of July and Sunday dinners preceded by Jeopardy.
Win and Ash were blessed to make lifelong friends wherever they went. Their many friends and family ranged from the western states to the north Idaho panhandle and throughout Montana. These friends were an important part of their lives.
Even after losing Ashley in 2015, Win continued to live with remarkable strength and positivity. Her spirit remained unbroken, her passion for living unchanged even as her health declined in her later years.
She is preceded in death by her husband Ashley, brothers Earl, Gerry, and Steve and parents, Grace and “Bill”. She is survived by her children Wade and Amy, son in-law Dave, her grandchildren Chelsea, Luke, and Emily, and a community of close friends.
A celebration of her life will be held March 8 at 3:00 pm in Superior, Montana at the Methodist church.
Red will be the color of the day — to let her know we’re thinking of her.
Service Schedule
Celebration of Life
3:00 PM
Saturday March 8, 2025
United Methodist Church
205 1st St
Superior, MT
Service Schedule
Celebration of Life
3:00 PM
Saturday March 8, 2025
United Methodist Church
205 1st St
Superior, MT
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Kwyncee Retz says
Amy, Wade and family,
I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss and the hole her leaving has made!! Win always brought a smile to my face and everyone around her. I loved spending time with her at nights eating candy and watching our shows, to fixing the color of her hair and all of the other amazing memories I will always cherish. Thank you so much for letting me spend time with her. Thinking of you all during this time.
-Kwyncee
Kathy says
I am Win’s ex sister-in-law. I am so sorry to hear of her passing. I really enjoyed being with her and she was always a great friend when we were together. I loved going to Superior and being able to see her and her family and all the Pikes. I especially loved all our Sunday afternoon picnics with Bill and Grace and Win, Ashley, Wade and Amy, Gerry and Steve. I only saw her a few times after my divorce but always thought about her and loved her emails. I am so sorry for your loss, Wade and Amy.
Lois Branning says
Wade, Amy and. Family. So sorry for your loss. It’s heartbreaking when you lose someone so close. She was a Great lady!!