Monica Hoover

June 10, 1928 – July 4, 2019

Monica was born in Ponoka, Alberta, the 4th of six children. She often regaled the family with stories of growing up on the prairies in the “Dirty Thirties”. Three of the kids riding their horse bareback to the one room schoolhouse, sharing a pair of shoes with her sister, her mother making her clothing out of her old dresses and hauling water (or ice) from the river winter and summer.

She remembered that if the chickens laid an egg then her mother would rejoice, praise the Lord and make a cake.

Her spinster aunt would bring them a box of Japanese oranges for Christmas…the only oranges they would get all year. Times were unbelievably tough and to this day she would not eat porridge or sauerkraut…which was on their menu most days.

The family moved to Penticton in 1941 when she was 13.

The family rented a huge old house which stills stands on Young Street. It was like a castle compared to the little tiny “house” the family had in Ponoka.  Monica was lucky to be able to go to school. Her three older siblings had to quit school and go to work to help the family.

Monica met and married the handsome Bud Hoover after he returned from the war. They made their home in Penticton where they promptly had four children…three babies in diapers at one time. Bud worked on the CPR but after an accident injuring his back, he started to look at other options.

In 1958, they moved the family to Vancouver…chasing an opportunity. In the mid 1960s, Monica took her real estate course and became a real estate agent. Times were tough and Bud was anxious to move out of the city and back to the Okanagan. So, the family packed up again and in the summer of 1967 arrived in Oliver where they lived their remaining years.

Upon arriving in Oliver, Monica immediately became involved in the community. She enlisted the help of Stuart Hirtle and together they opened a real estate office, Hirtle Real Estate. She was a real estate agent for 20+ years. She spent several years on the village council as an Alderman and one term as the Mayor of Oliver. At that time there were very few woman mayors in Canada.

Monica later retired from politics but continued to be active fighting various causes. Her and her team could be seen setting up their tables in the malls…encouraging people to sign their petitions.

She was a natural politician always concerned with what was best for the Town of Oliver.

Thanks to the Hoover family for this write up.