What is the maiden surname of Liz Lemon's mother Margaret?

Liz Lemon’s mother Margaret has the maiden surname Freeman, making her Margaret Freeman before marrying Dick Lemon. The detail appears in 30 Rock’s character history and family storylines.

Margaret is played by Anita Gillette, with Tina Fey portraying her as a younger woman in “The Moms.” She is written as a sharp, old-fashioned mother whose apparent support for Liz is often paired with quiet disapproval of Liz’s choices, especially her ideas about romance and marriage.

Margaret’s most memorable backstory involves astronaut Buzz Aldrin. She knew him before he became famous and calls him “Ed,” explaining that Montclair already had too many people named Buzz. Her life later took a more conventional path: she married Dick Lemon and had Mitch and Liz.

Freeman is easy to confuse with other surnames in the Lemon family and surrounding 30 Rock characters. Maroney belongs to Jenna, Murphy is associated with Jack Donaghy’s mother Colleen, and Donovan is not Margaret’s maiden name.