Hoover, Margaret Coberly

Mrs. Margaret Coberly Hoover of Portola Valley, Calif., passed away Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, at the age of 98.

Mrs. Hoover was born Margaret Coberly on March 7, 1911, in the Arizona Territory near Tucson, to Mr. William Bayley Coberly and Mrs. Winifred Wheeler Coberly. On March 17, 1937, she married Mr. Allan Hoover, son of President Herbert Hoover and Lou Henry Hoover in Los Angeles, Calif. The couple had three children, Allan, Andrew and Lou, who were raised in California and Greenwich, Conn., where the couple lived for over 40 years.

Mrs. Hoover graduated from Marlborough School in Los Angeles and attended the University of California at Los Angeles, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Mrs. Hoover was an avid horticulturalist and active in local and national Republican Party politics.

Mrs. Hoover is survived by her three children, Allan Hoover Jr., Andrew Hoover and his wife, Jean, and daughter, Lou Henry Hoover; a niece, Margaret Coberly; five grandchildren, Deborah Farmer, Allan Hoover III, James Hoover, Margaret Hoover and Alexander Hoover; three great-grandchildren, Mary, Andrew and Thomas Hoover; and several other nieces and nephews.

A private memorial service was held Saturday, Oct. 17, in West Branch, Iowa, where she was laid to rest alongside her husband of 56 years.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association for the benefit of the “Uncommon Student Award Fund”, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association, 302 Parkside Dr., West Branch, IA 52358. Donations can be made online at 

For more information, please contact Henderson-Barker Funeral Home at (319) 643-2112 or