Marguerite "Rita" Smith Blochowiak of Dayton NV, known locally as "Margie B", passed from the arms of her family at home on January 5, 2012, making good on a promise to her late husband Erv to never abandon the family house. She was within a stone's throw of her 95th birthday. Margie was the oldest daughter of Charlie Smith and Florence Sawyer. Brother Virgil "Beau" lives in Sacramento today. Brothers Charles and Frances "Pidgie", and sisters Dorothy "Dottie" and Evelyn have gone on ahead.

Born in Willows, California, March 1, 1917, Margie was raised by her grandparents, George W. Sawyer of Vermont, and Debbie Gano of Iowa. Her earliest years were spent on an Orland dairy, later moving to Colusa where she befriended the extended Shippen family and became one of their own. She shared her grandfather's musical talents, singing and dancing throughout her life, playing piano and organ in churches and at community gatherings. She strongly promoted performance arts with her children, notably a dance studio with her daughter. She was also an accomplished painter and sketch artist. A member of the Greatest Generation, Margie worked for the U.S. Army driving a bus to transport soldiers at bases around San Francisco, volunteered as a Red Cross Grey Lady, was a member of the Civil Air Patrol, and later was a Chaplain with the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Margie worked on farms, cooked for dusty harvest crews, drove trucks and a caterpillar tractor, and piloted a bi-plane to scare ducks away from the fields. She was a home maker, senior care giver, business woman, talented seamstress, and community leader. With her husband, they owned a bar in Walhain Wisconsin, opened concrete pipe plants in Reno, Chico California, and St. George Utah, and operated the Trails End trailer court in Fernley Nevada. In Fernley, she was known as one of the "Jones Sisters" a grass-roots effort who established a Senior Center there, and later another in Silver Springs, receiving commendation from the Governor. With Erv, she promoted development of the Desert Memorial Gardens cemetery. Each are assets to their communities many years after creation. Margie and Erv were married for more than 63 years, together raising their loving daughter Etta Jean (husband David), sons Michael Ervin (wife Linda) and William Kenneth (wife Shirley), and were blessed with 9 grand kids, and 15 great grand kids.