Margaret (Hove) McConnachie ~ 1923 - 2015

Margaret (Hove) McConnachie, a resident of Marin County for the past 40 years, passed away peacefully after a full and satisfying life, at 91. She was the second daughter of Oluf and Agnes Hove, both of pioneer immigrant Norwegian families. Oluf was a part of the Conejo Valley immigrant community and Pederson family, that built the “Norwegian Grade” as a short cut to Ventura.

Agnes was part of the Olsen and Wade families, early Goleta pioneers and homesteaders. Margaret was born November 18, 1923 in Santa Barbara and graduated from SBHS class of 1941. She then enrolled at the UCSB Riviera campus, then called State Teachers College.

In 1944, she was selected for a newly formed Naval Reserve program called the WAVES ( Women Approved for Voluntary Emergency Service ), recruiting from college campuses. This program was later recognized for opening leadership opportunities for women in all the Armed Services. Margaret was serving in San Francisco when the WAVES were deactivated in 1946. She then took a civilian office manager position .She continued as an officer in the Naval Reserve for several years, where she met her husband to be, John McConnachie, who was beginning his career with the newly emerging Social Security Administration. Years later, he retired as the Regional Commissioner.

While Margaret’s clerical skills made her an excellent office manager, she found she preferred the “home office” of family correspondence, family history, photo labeling and maintaining homemade hospitality for her Viking and John’s large Scottish families. Their generous hospitality was enjoyed, appreciated and remembered by so many.

She is predeceased by John, her husband of 58 years, her parents Oluf and Agnes Hove and a sister Ruth Jordan. She is survived by a brother, Allen Hove of Santa Barbara, four nieces and their families and several cousins here and in Norway. She will be interred next to John at the family plot in Hysham, Montana at a private graveside service. Print this post