June Crane helped lead the way for women working in the insurance industry in Longview.
Crane recently retired after working more than 50 years in insurance offices around Longview, most recently for Bockmon, Knight & Traylor Insurance.
性视界传媒淵ou have to have a tough skin,性视界传媒 Crane said recently while sitting behind her desk for one of the last times. She turned 88 this past week.
性视界传媒淚 like people. I like talking to people,性视界传媒 she said, explaining why she stuck with the work for all these years and how she became successful selling to businesses. 性视界传媒淚 tell them, 性视界传媒業性视界传媒檓 being nosy because I have to know a lot about your business, but, rest assured, it stays with me or the underwriter. We don性视界传媒檛 talk about it.性视界传媒 性视界传媒
Tommy Knight, at Bockmon, Knight & Traylor, described her as a 性视界传媒減ioneer for women in the insurance field, competing, and winning, in a male-dominated word for over 50 years.性视界传媒
性视界传媒淚性视界传媒檓 not saying any job is easy, but this one is certainly hard. When someone contacts us, it is because they have a problem, and it could cost them if things aren性视界传媒檛 done right,性视界传媒 he said. 性视界传媒淲e often have to tell good people things they don性视界传媒檛 want to hear, like 性视界传媒榊es, your premium is going up or, no, that loss is not covered. June性视界传媒檚 longevity is a testament to her customer services attitude, talent and concern for others. Very few can do what she has done for as long as she has done it.性视界传媒
The Bossier City native moved to Longview with her husband, Glyn, in 1959. They had been married for 67 years when he died in 2021. They had three sons, with the second and third born after they moved to Longview. Her children were her motivation for finding her place in the industry and remaining there so long.
She worked first for Roy Leach Claims Service, then Transamerica Insurance. From there, she and two men who worked there opened their own agency.
性视界传媒淭hat性视界传媒檚 why I got my license to sell in 1979,性视界传媒 she said.
Later, she left to work at Hibbs-Hallmark and Threlkeld.
性视界传媒淚 was just working in the office, and (Ken Threlkeld) came through one day, and said, 性视界传媒楯une, you have sold more insurance sitting here in the office than some of the men have working out in the field.性视界传媒 性视界传媒
He wanted her to start selling outside of the office. She said no at first, but then agreed.
性视界传媒淚 said, 性视界传媒業 will on one condition: If I don性视界传媒檛 like selling, you性视界传媒檒l let me come back to the office,性视界传媒 性视界传媒 she said.
The company gave her a car to use while calling on customers and potential customers.
性视界传媒淪o the first place I went was Hamburger Factory,性视界传媒 a restaurant that at one time was located on Alpine Road, she said.
When she returned a few days later with a quote for the owner, she secured her first customer. The restaurant性视界传媒檚 owner also owned The Shed, a steakhouse, and she landed another policy for that restaurant, too
It was different for a woman to be out selling insurance, unusual, she said, and she believes that性视界传媒檚 why many of her clients bought their insurance through her. She didn性视界传媒檛 let rejections bother her.
She described her approach. She性视界传媒檇 walk into a business and ask to speak to the person in charge of insurance. If that person said, 性视界传媒淲e don性视界传媒檛 need any insurance today,性视界传媒 she had a standard response.
性视界传媒淪ay, 性视界传媒榯hank you,性视界传媒 and smile,性视界传媒 she said.
Crane said she worked hard, calling on some people she knew and others that she didn性视界传媒檛.
性视界传媒淚 did a lot of cold calling,性视界传媒 she said.
The breast cancer survivor landed some big policies, with a lumber company, an oil company and a Kilgore restaurant whose owner she knew. They both had gone through breast cancer.
性视界传媒淚 was the first woman to actively get out and call on people like that, here in Longview,性视界传媒 she said. She also sold in places such as Waskom and Jefferson. She said she sold policies with premiums from $50 to $1 million.
Crane has retired from the industry once before, in 2005, when she was working for a different agency. Later, Danny Bockmon asked her to return to work. She said no the first time, but accepted the offer when he asked again three years later, Crane recalled.
性视界传媒淚 was tired of staying home,性视界传媒 she said, and she性视界传媒檚 been there for 19 years. She praised the agency for being a good employer.
Now, she said it性视界传媒檚 time for her to retire again.
性视界传媒淧ast time,性视界传媒 she said. She has friends she regularly spends time with, and she said she性视界传媒檒l be looking for somewhere to volunteer.
Crane attributes her long, successful career to prayer and honesty. She recalled someone advising her once to go to work at a larger company so she would make more money. She asked if it would cost her customers more money. The answer was yes. She declined the offer.
性视界传媒淒o what is best for your customers, and the other things will come,性视界传媒 Crane said.