The long running animated series "The Simpsons" has lost the inspiration for Marge Simpson. Margaret Groening, the mother of the show's creator Matt Groening, has passed away at 94.

Margaret died peacefully in her sleep on April 22 in Portalnd, Oregon, according to the paid obituary notice in The Oregonian newspaper.

Fans of the cartoon show are in mourning. Though most of them have never met Margaret, they will forever remember her as the inspiration for her animated namesake, Marge Simpson. Her husband, Homer Groening, died in 1996.

The obituary, which was printed on Monday, mentioned several familiar names, including Lisa, Maggie, and Patty.

From The Oregonian:

"Margaret Groening did peacefully in her sleep on April 22, 2013, in Portland. Born Margaret Wiggum on March 23, 1919 in Chisolm, Minn., Margaret was 94 years old.

"Margaret's parents, Matt and Ingeborg Wiggum, met on the boat coming to America from Norway. They settled in Everett, Wash., where the paper mill 'smelled like money,' and Matt worked as a machinist.

"As high school valedictorian and Miss Everett, Margaret's highest honor was being named May Queen of Linfield College. She graduated from Linfield in 1941 and married classmate Homer Groening, whom she chose because he made her laugh the most.

"Margaret taught high school English before starting a family, and her love of language was apparent in the many Double-Crostics she completed (in ink).

"Margaret and Homer supported the Oregon Symphony, the Portland Trail Blazers and many local yarn shops (Margaret was a talented needlework artist).

"Besides Homer, Margaret was preceded in death by her oldest daughter, Patty, who died in Jan., 2013. She is survived by her brother, Arnold; her children, Mark, Matt, Lisa and Maggie; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

"The family thanks the wonderful caregivers from Visiting Angels and the hospice nurses from Housecall Providers. Special appreciation also goes to loyal friend, Grace Clark."

It's no secret that Matt named many of the characters in "The Simpsons" from his own family. Marge and Homer came from his parents' names, although, he had previously pointed out that his mother did not go by "Marge."

His mother's maiden last name, Wiggum, is the family name of the chief of police in the show's setting of Springfield. Patty, his late sister, is also the name of Marge's older sister, whose twin is named Selma. And of course, Lisa and Maggie are also the names of Marge and Homer's daughters.

Only Bart, the show's most recognisable character, did not come from any of the Groenings. Instead of using his own name, Matt settled for Bart, an anagram of the word "brat."