May 03, 1938 - February 19, 2020. Marjorie Muck died of a stroke at age 81 at the Rideout Hospital in Marysville, California.

She is survived by her husband Sidney (Sid) Muck, her children Christine (Chris; James Lohman) McCormick and James (Jim; Amanda Johnson) Muck, and her grandchildren Ross McCormick and Helen McCormick.

Her time on the planet has come to an end but now we imagine she is free to resume all the things she loved to do. Marge, as she preferred to be called, was a woman of diverse interests, intense dedication, and a chronic feeder of things that could use some food. In 1961 she married Sid Muck and found herself a creature of the Big City (that is, Sacramento) transported to the rural wonderland of Wheatland. Upon her arrival in Wheatland, she made an impression by dressing in what she considered appropriate attire for a visit to town. As she entered the Bank of America, more than one person noticed that she was wearing gloves. (Gloves!) Now, that was not something one saw every day in Wheatland, then or now. Eventually, she stopped wearing gloves, except when gardening.

Marge had what were known as her "phases." The phases comprised her latest interest and passion. She was busy, curious, and always willing to try something new. A phase might last a few days or 30 years: one could never really know. A sampling of these phases are, in no particular order, Jazzercise, French cooking, bird watching, ballroom dancing, Yoga, canning, counted cross stitch, knitting, and the Japanese art form of bonsai. She was particularly dedicated to gardening and was a Yuba Sutter Master Gardener for more than 25 years. She was fixture at the Master Gardeners' booth at the farmers market on Saturdays in Yuba City. She loved answering gardening questions and teaching others how to love their soil no matter how crappy it was. She was a devoted member of Grace Episcopal Church in Wheatland, serving as the Senior Warden for, in her words, "Forever and then some." When times at the church were difficult, she guided and reassured the flock that even though the church might be low on funds and attendance was down, the church would not die and that together, they would make it. Happily, she was correct: the congregation of Grace Episcopal Church persists to this day. Marge's faith and the people of Grace Church were a source of joy for her.

The longest lasting passion she had was for her family. She raised two perfect children: the old one, Chris, and the young one, Jim. Her dedication as a mother was the stuff of legend. She served as a Brownie Troop leader, a Blue Bird leader, a 4H leader, and was on the elementary school board. She was probably a Boy Scout or Cub Scout leader too, but perfect as he is, her son can't really remember, so let's just say she did. She took great pride in her grandchildren, Ross and Helen. She joyously participated in their childhoods, teaching them how to make gingerbread houses, revealing the mysteries of gardening, and teaching them as only a city girl could what is was like to live in the country.

Small domesticated animals, particularly abandoned ones in need care and feeding, were one of her soft spots. She actively sought out only three pets in her lifetime (okay, maybe four); all the rest were adopted and named for the month or closest holiday to their day of arrival (January, Valentine, Claus, Noel, and in an inexplicable deviation, Blair). She loved Wheatland's annual Pet Parade, spending hours thinking up themes and ways to display our visibly distressed pets to the citizens of Wheatland. Family legend celebrates the mini Apollo Capsule that contained our dog, Aquarius (it was the '70s, after all), who howled for the duration of the parade as if we were wheeling him to the vet for a second neutering or some other horror.

To sum up someone's life in a brief essay in impossible. If you were lucky enough to know Marge, you surely have a special story about the woman who spent the church coffee hour each Sunday holding a porcelain mug that declared boldly: "This might be wine." (This was in fact a distinct possibility, for she loved wine and discovering delicious fermentations was, you guessed it, another one her phases, and one that her family enthusiastically embraced.)

There will be a celebration for this amazing human once the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed and we can once again gather within six feet of one another to mourn her death and celebrate her life.

Marge adored flowers. While you may want to acknowledge her death with a beautiful arrangement, we gently suggest that rather than sending flowers to the family or to the service (and we promise, there will be plenty) that you instead consider making a donation in her honor. Marge supported many worthy causes. Some of her favorites were Capitol Public Radio, The Episcopal Relief & Development Fund, animal shelters, and Grace Episcopal Church.

Thank you for all the stories and love you have shared so far. A grateful "Thank you" to all who visited Marge for a chat, who brought Holy Communion to her, and to those who called and wrote: your kindness was and is truly appreciated. The family is grateful to her physician and all her caretakers, who showed professionalism, kindness, and tender care. Arrangements under Lipp & Sullivan.