Cambier, John, 1882-1932

CAMBIER, DUBOIS, DEKRUIF

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 11/4/2010 at 10:38:34

DEATH CLAIMS JOHN CAMBIER
WIDELY KNOWN SIOUX COUNTY CITIZEN DIED TUESDAY
Had Been Bedfast for a Month at His Home in Orange City.--Funeral Will be Held Friday

John Cambier, one of Sioux county's best known and most prominent citizens, passed away at his home in Orange City at 10:30 Tuesday night [Feb. 2] following an illness of a month from heart trouble and other complications. He had been bedfast during this period.

For many years he was engaged in the farm implement business at Orange City in partnership with his brother, Peter Cambier. Later he embarked in the automobile business and finally engaged in the gasoline and oil business in conjunction with the automobile business on an extensive scale in partnership with his nephew, Will Cambier, operating as the Cambier Motor Co. At first their business was confined to the Orange City territory but during the past few years has been gradually expanded to include Hawarden, Primghar and LeMars.

As independent oil and gasoline dealers they became crusaders in the business world, waging a relentless campaign for business in competition with the old established and powerful oil companies. Possessed of tireless energy and boundless enthusiasm, John Cambier has borne the brunt of the battle for business, has carried the burden in spite of the knowledge that it was sapping his physical strength and endurance, and refused to ease up on his work even when warned that continuation might prove fatal to him. He was a man of powerful physique when in health, jovial, possessed of a keen mind and excellent business judgment, and above all was a "square shooter" who inspired the confidence of the public, which in turn accounted for his many loyal friends. While his death will in no way cause an interruption of the business of the Cambier Motor Co., yet his was a place in the organization which cannot be readily filled.

He is survived by his widow and two children, a son and a daughter. He also leaves a host of loyal friends throughout Sioux and adjoining counties in northwest Iowa who will grieve at his passing.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 o'clock Friday afternoon at the American Reformed church in Orange City and interment will be made at that place.

Source: Hawarden Independent, Feb. 4, 1932.

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SIOUX COUNTY BUSINESSMAN DIES
JOHN CAMBIER DIES AT THE AGE OF 49

John Cambier died Tuesday of heart trouble at his home near Orange City. Mr. Cambier had been suffering from heart trouble for some years and had been ill and in bed for some weeks before his death. Still, his passing came as a surprise to all who knew him, for he was expected to recover.

Mr. Cambier was well known in Northwest Iowa. For many years he engaged in the implement business in Orange City and gained a wide reputation for his price cutting. He was also an auctioneer of great ability. In more recent years he has been engaged in the oil and garage business. His forceful personality did for the oil business what it had done in all his undertakings. He started a chain of independent filling stations and ran a truck service in the country. His policy always has been low profit and large volume. He was successful in this. This same policy in the selling of automobiles built for him a large, modern garage in Orange City.

Mr. Cambier farmed a model farm just north of Orange City, where he raised purebred horses and stock. His horses have won many blue ribbons in recent years at the fairs of the northwest. His home and farm yard were show places and a credit to Sioux County.

Sioux County has lost a forceful personality in the death of this comparatively young man. Mr. Cambier was but 49 years old. The people of Paullina, Primghar, Le Mars and Hawarden have lost a valuable friend. He performed there the same service that the co-operatives perform for us in Sioux Center. He was the power in those towns that drove the price of gas and oil down. Orange City has lost a civic leader.

Source: Sioux Center News, Feb. 4, 1932.

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From the Alton Democrat, Feb. 12, 1932, p. 2:

"JOHN" CAMBIER

John is gone. Everyone called him John, old and young alike. No one but a traveling salesman, striving to flatter, or a young lady trying to sell the firm something, ever called him "Mr." Cambier.

That was one of the great things about the man--there was no use trying to pull the flattery stuff on him--it never got anyone anywhere with John Cambier. He was a great man, but he apparently was not conscious of the fact, and had no desire for anyone to Mr. him.

John Cambier had an ambition a number of years ago to establish a radio station at Orange City. He knew that if his health held out he could successfully operate such an enterprise, and he knew that such an enterprise would bring great things to Orange City and to Sioux county. It would have brought countless thousands of dollars into this county that now go to Yankton, to Shenandoah and other points.

Bu because his health was far from robust John hesitated to undertake the enterprise which would have required his undivided attention, a tremendous amount of energy each day, as well as a large amount of capital. Instead, he inaugurated his gasoline price war and advertised that if given sufficient gallonage he could maintain the low prices he instituted consistently. He contracted with this paper to send a copy of each issue in which he carried one of his gasoline ads to every man living in the area bounded on the north by Highway 18, on the south by Highway 5, on the west by the Perry Creek road, and on the east roughly from Remsen north.

His fight was supported so loyally by farmers and others that in 1931 the Cambier Motor Co., then its stations, MERCHANDISED 190 CARLOADS OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS, or more than a carload every other day. The great oil companies operating in this section watched his campaign so closely that every issue of The Democrat which carried one of his gasoline ads was sent in to the head office in Chicago or elsewhere. His fight against the oil monopoly has commanded probably wider attention than that of any other independent oil merchandiser in America, and also probably has been more successful than any other fight ever made against such overwhelming odds--a fight that surely has scarcely had the attention of his fellow citizens here that it deserved. But the old maxim is still true, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country," at least until he is dead and gone.

To estimate the saving his low prices have already effected to gasoline, kerosene and oil consumers of this section is beyond our capacity to estimate. John could have told us, and we have no doubt his competent nephew, Wm. J. Cambier, could tell us. [Continues with a few sentences wishing Wm. J. luck as John's successor in the business.]

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From the Alton Democrat, Dec. 12, 1937, p. 1

HELD SERVICE IN MEMORY OF LATE DISTINGUISHED LION

[Article on memorial service for Cambier by the Alton Lions Club] .... G. J. Slobe outlined briefly the main events of the late member's life.... With only a common school education, a course at a business college and an auctioneer's course, the late John Cambier's ability was nevertheless so outstanding that if his health had not failed there was no limit to the heights to which he might have climbed.... When John Cambier held one of his machinery sales at Orange City there was no need for any other attraction to bring a large crowd to town, Mr. Slobe remarked, the street at the side of his implement house being packed from one sidewalk to the other side of the street. Mr. Slobe also gave credit to John's business associates, Peter Cambier and Wm. J. Cambier, for the phenomenal success of their enterprises, suggesting that one of the man's great attributes was his ability in judging men.... Someone suggested that the crowd of 1700 friends who filled to capacity the great church auditorium, the annex and the basement, at his funeral, was about as good an index of the regard in which he was held in Sioux county as anything could be.

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From the original posting (2/26/2009) by Wilma J. Vande Berg of an obituary extract from the Sioux Center News:

Born April 3, 1882, Port Gibson, N.Y. Parents, John Cambier and Suzanna DuBois (from the 1925 Iowa State Census record). Spouse, Ruth DeKruif. Son John W., daughter Joyce.