Reverend Peleg Spencer Whitman (P.S. Whitman) is considered the Father of Bonair.
The Half & Half Man
John Pecinovsky was a quirky tavern owner famous for his half and half suits.
"John Pecinovsky, the famous Half & Half Man, owner and operator of the Bonair Tavern, 4 miles west and 3 miles north of Cresco, Iowa. We serve Fitger's Beer, Walt Rush, and distributor. Ice cream, soft drinks, and candy. Half & Half, Bonair, Iowa. Souvenir post card."
"For years Pecinovsky wore suits in which half of the coat was white and the other black, one trouser leg white and the other black. One side of his face was always kept shaved smooth while the other was permitted to support a luxuriant crop of whiskers".
Obituary
Bonair's "Half and Half Man" Will Be Buried as He Lived
Bonair, Iowa. - Bonair's "half and half man," John Pecinovsky, about 40, tavern operator in this village of 100 persons, seven miles northwest of Cresco, Howard County, is dead, and at his request he will be placed in his grave in the manner in which he lived.
For years Pecinovsky wore suits in which half of the coat was white and the other black, one trouser leg white and the other black. One side of his face was always kept shaved smooth while the other was permitted to support a luxuriant crop of whiskers.
Pecinovsky leaves his widow and two children. Funeral services will be Thursday at Assumption Catholic church in Cresco.
~Waterloo Daily Courier, April 7, 1942