Is Every ‘Simpsons’ Character Accounted for in Matt Groening’s Mother Obituary?
What’s the difference between a Springfield phone book and an elderly high school English teacher’s obituary?
When it comes to that of Simpsons creator Matt Groening’s late mother, the answer is “not a whole lot.”
On Sunday, a copy of Margaret Groening’s 2013 obit began making the rounds on The Simpsons subreddit, where fans found themselves fascinated with not only the cartoon matriarch’s rich life, but the slew of very familiar — and familial — names filling the page.
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“Born Margaret Wiggum on March 23, 1919, in Chisolm, Minn., Margaret was 94 years old,” read the piece, taking care to note how she married her college sweetheart, Homer Groening, after her graduation in 1941.
But “Wiggum” and “Homer” were only the first Springfield residents’ names to pop up in the tribute to Margaret — who shockingly never used the “Marge” moniker, according to Oregon Live. “Besides Homer, Margaret was preceded in death by her oldest daughter, Patty, who died in Jan., 2013,” the obit continued. “She is survived by her brother, Arnold; her children, Mark, Matt, Lisa and Maggie.”
Though Groening has long been outspoken about how his family members served as muses for the long-running series, noting that alongside these names, he pulled inspiration from Portland, Oregon streets like “Lovejoy” and “Flanders” in crafting the series now-iconic cast of characters, per NPR, fans were still surprised to get a glimpse at the real-life counterparts behind their favorite Springfeldians.
“That has to have been the most surreal life,” wrote Redditor Tolan91. “Your kid runs a little comic strip, one day, he pitches a TV show and names the characters after you and your family. Then suddenly, it becomes an unmatched cultural sensation, and for the rest of your life, every single person who hears your name knows.”
Meanwhile, OneFootTitan noted another strange similarity between the obituary’s ending mention of Margaret’s friend Grace Clark and the series’ iconic outro. “This one is a coincidence, but I like how the obit ends with a thanks to her friend Grace, just like the shows end with the Gracie Films logo,” they observed.
One question still remains, though: To paraphrase Bright-Resident6864, “In all the seasons the show has been on and they’ve yet to have a character named Ingeborg?”
