The son of Uriah & Margaret (Welsh) Bonar, in 1860 he was a farmer living in Washington Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He stood 5' 8" tall and had dark hair and brown eyes.

A Civil War veteran, he served two terms of service:

1. Enlisted at the stated age of seventeen in Chambersburg October 16, 1862, as a substitute, and mustered into federal service there November 4 as a private with Co. G, 158th Pennsylvania Infantry (aka "Drafted Militia"). While his service records list him as a draftee - common with the members of the 1862 state-drafted regiments - that is unlikely given that he was underage by two years. Even his stated age still made him too young for conscription but not too young to enlist with parental permission. He deserted from Camp McClure, Chambersburg, to date December 10, 1862, and he is thereafter listed as having "straggled from 16 Oct, 1862 to May 28, 1863." Despite that checkered military record, he honorably discharged with his company August 12, 1863. He is in the company register as "Bonar" but is listed as "Bonner" in his compiled military service records. (His brother Joseph served in a different regiment as "Bonar.")

2. Enlisted at the stated age of nineteen in Chambersburg January 25, 1864, mustered into federal service there January 29 as a private with Co. K, 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry (182nd Pennsylvania), and honorably discharged with his company July 8, 1865. He is in the company register as "Boner."

On May 16, 1866, at Chambersburg, he enlisted as "Bonar" with the regular army, assigned to Co. G, 19th U.S. Infantry, and honorably discharged at term's end May 28, 1869, at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a sergeant. Despite what the tombstone claims, his service records clearly indicate he discharged at the rank of sergeant, not first sergeant.

He married Amanda Knepper but no evidence of children has yet emerged, and Amanda is the only survivor mentioned in his obituaries. On July 24, 1890, he applied for a disability pension as "Bonar" and received it. An employee of the Frick Company after the war, functioning there as a machinist and blacksmith, he also worked as a mail carrier. Cause of his death is listed as "pneumonia."

On May 14, 1906, Amanda applied for a widow's pension and received it.

NOTE: You will see several spellings for the surname; Bonar, Boner, Bonner.