MARGARET QUASCHNICK

Like a flower that blooms through the hardest winter, Margaret Bitterman was born into the world on February 20, 1930. It was a time in our country that we needed a beacon of light and a strength to persevere. She was born in Lodi, CA to a family fresh from the Dakotas. Margaret would go on to attend Lodi Union High School and made easy friends. She would lament the loss of friends, especially those to internment, and mourned throughout her life. It was at Lodi High that she met the love of her life, Mike Quaschnick. For over 60 years they adventured together. Through feast and famine, they danced together until the very end. Margaret passed October 16, 2025. She was preceded in death by her husband in 2009. Also preceded by her parents Ferdinand and Orvilla, sisters Lois and Lorraine, daughter-in-law Patti, and her son, David. She is survived by her sister Marilyn, her sons Michael (Kathy) and Jim (Janelle) as well as her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchild. Margaret was proud of many aspects of her life: she was a fierce worker at both Guild Winery and the family home ranch. She was devout in her dedication to Emmanuel Lutheran Church. An avid gardener, she was a long standing member of the Lodi Garden Club of which she served as past president. Her life, like her garden, was tended with care - full of patience, color and growth. It is a walk down her long, flowery driveway that inspires our story of Margaret.
At the entrance stands a mighty Oak. Like Margaret, there are generations of branches that she cared for, shaded and nurtured to provide for her family. She has deep roots and was very proud of her German from Ukraine heritage. She loved sharing the stories of her ancestors and the trials it took to get from what was then Russia to beautiful California. They brought with them recipes and traditions that Margaret loved to keep alive. She would bake kuchen, cook borscht stew, halupsi, and knoephla much to her family's delight.
Margaret loved the California Poppy. She too was hardy and drought resistant. Bright and glowing even in the driest years. She would remind you she was a "depression baby". Every year she would can fruits and vegetables in order to enjoy the yields of labor over the winter.
Sprinkled along the driveway were succulents like her favorite Aloe. She could be healing when you needed comfort, but honest enough to prick you if called for. Armed with just a high school diploma, she became a trained chemist at Guild Winery. From that day forward she would scoff at any wine that didn't touch her hands. It always brought a smile to us hearing that a nice bottle of wine was too "thin" or had too much "residual acid". Margaret was an intense card shark, sharp as a tack. Whether it was bridge or pinochle, she would delight at her victories and equally enjoy pointing out your mistakes to give her the win.
Above all, Margaret was a Rose, a real American Beauty. Her roses were the stars of her driveway. Absolutely no one was able to prune and coax the beauty out of the plant like her. Though her bloom has faded and the world smells a little less sweet, the lessons of her garden remain.
Margaret will be greatly missed.