M. Margaret Owen Papers, 1951-1958

M. Margaret Owen was born on October 27, 1905, in Wheatfield, Montana, to Arthur W. and Minnie Seitz Mechling. Owen grew up on homesteads in central Montana near Geraldine, Montana. After graduating from high school there in 1923, she attended Dillon Normal School. She taught school until 1929, when she married Lloyd R. Owen. The couple first lived in Missoula and Stevensville, then Geraldine, returning to Missoula from 1941 to 1976, and finally, near Hamilton, Montana, upon retirement. Owen was interested in crocheting, needlework, genealogy, and reading. She had eight children and helped run the family business. She died on May 7, 1999, in Hamilton, Montana.

The Ground Observer Corps was started in 1952 under the supervision of the Air Defense Command. The purpose of the Corps was to organize volunteers to watch the skies for enemy Soviet aircrafts that could not be detected by radar. Volunteers were recruited from all walks of life, from housewives to Boy and Girl Scouts. At the Corps' peak in 1953, there were 250,000 volunteers nationwide working shifts of up to four hours in length. Several volunteers logged as many as 5000 hours in the Corps' five-year history.

On December 31, 1957, the Corps ended its operations. Members were transferred to a ready reserve basis, but their services were no longer needed due to advances in radar technology. In Missoula, Montana, the GOC Post was located on the roof of the Palace Hotel. Nearby, there were posts in Drummond, Lolo, Florence, and the Swanson Ranch, Montana. In 1957, Margaret Owen was chosen to lead the GOC Post's volunteer staff of 350 in Missoula, Montana, for her more than 2500 hours of service.