Margaret McConnachie

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 a the

family plot in Custer Montana.