Jackson L. “Jack” Bonus

While Jackson L. “Jack“ Bonus may be gone, his name still resonates in the Butler County business community. In fact, you can still find it if you drive by North Main Street in Zelienople. Bonus’ self-owned insurance company, Jack L. Bonus Insurance, has operated since 1979 and is still active and thriving today.

Bonus’ entry into the insurance business was not easy by any means. He entered California State University in the fall of 1967, becoming the first in his family to enter college.

Unfortunately, Bonus could not afford tuition on his own, forcing him to take up several odd jobs.

“He worked at gas stations, drove an ambulance, ran a small beauty salon and then ran a bakery, sleeping on flour sacks and going to class with arms stained red from the cherry pie filling he handled to bake pies at 4 a.m. before class,” Jennifer Harper, Bonus’ daughter, said.

Eventually, he took a job selling men’s suits at a J.C. Penney. It was there where he excelled, picking up more commissions than any other salesman. He found his niche in selling upscale clothing for a while, and went on to manage the Lisle T. Miller clothing store in Beaver Falls.

But it wasn’t long before he made the transition from selling suits to selling insurance.