Margaret Groening, Matt Groening’s inspiration for The Simpson’s Marge, dies at 94

Margaret Groening, the mother of The Simpsons creator Matt Groening and his inspiration for the family’s matriarch, has died at age 94.

According to The Oregonian, Margaret died on April 22 peacefully in her sleep in Portland, Oregon.

Groening was not shy about using his family as inspiration for the Simpsons, who have gone on to be one of television’s most famous fictional families. He named Homer after his father, cartoonist Homer Groening, who died in 1996, notes The Hollywood Reporter. Groning also named Maggie and Lisa after his sisters.

Margaret was born Minnesota and her parents met while on a boat to America from Norway. She married Homer, her high school sweetheart, because he “made her laugh the most,” her obituary notes.

Zap2It reports that Margaret told the Portland Tribune back in 2002 that Marge wasn’t her favorite character. Instead, she liked Kwik-E Mart owner Apu because “I just love his accent.”

She is survived by her brother Arnold, sons Matt and Mark, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her oldest daughter, Patricia, died earlier this year at age 69.