Dervaes Family

[NurseNell]

When my brother lived in Boston, MA he was involved in a group called Urban something. They planted edible plant seeds in empty lots and anywhere they saw an area of soil. What was this group called?

[Witsec7]

Is anyone else remembering Jonestown as they read of 600 acres somewhere in SA, safe but isolated? Scary.

I knew some hippie fundies from this area that went down to Belize. And hell if you go to Costa Rica ya can't help but bump into a missionary or frumper every time you turn. These folks with a minimum of cash can move down there attract converts and live in their compounds.

[NurseNell]

I knew some hippie fundies from this area that went down to Belize. And hell if you go to Costa Rica ya can't help but bump into a missionary or frumper every time you turn. These folks with a minimum of cash can move down there attract converts and live in their compounds.

I don't consider Belize or Costa Rica isolated, and compared to most other S.A. and Central American countries, not very 3rd world.

[Marian the Librarian]

"As for the father's control over his kids, Steve Maxwell has nothing on Jules Dervaes.

But none of them has a romantic interest. Jules says he has asked the children to put their romantic lives on hold 'until we can make a move’."

Children? Children?? The oldest daughter is pushing 40. This is just downright disgusting.

[batwing]

Is anyone else remembering Jonestown as they read of 600 acres somewhere in SA, safe but isolated? Scary.

Nell- Jonestown was my first thought too :shock:

[Black Aliss]

Jules Dervaes whose family were both an inspiration to me, and my gateway fundies, has died. He was 69. I think we last discussed this family back in 2011. At that time he had told his remaining 3 adult children (one had left a few years earlier and was persona non grata to the rest of the family) that they were free to marry once they had acquired some acreage. Not surprisingly they never did acquire that acreage although that tiny city lot had to have been worth far more than it would have cost for them to create a new homestead in, say, Paraguay.

Instead, for years they've been intensively cultivating their .1 acre homestead sandwiched between two freeways in Pasadena, CA. Somehow, between the fruit and vegetables they grew and the classes in self-sufficiency that they taught, they were able to support 4 adults, healthy if not prosperous. Back when they used to blog regularly it even seemed like a regular visitor to the homestead might have been attempting to court the youngest Dervaes daughter.

We speculate on what will happen to the Maxwell, Botkin, Arndt, and other chidults once the parents pass away. It will be interesting to see what happens here. I predict the siblings will continue to live on their urban homestead.

[Koala]

I hadn't heard of this family, and it's very sad that the father has passed.  

That said:

14 minutes ago, Black Aliss said:

 At that time he had told his remaining 3 adult children (one had left a few years earlier and was persona non grata to the rest of the family) that they were free to marry once they had acquired some acreage. Not surprisingly they never did acquire that acreage

What on earth would make him think he had the right to limit the circumstances under which his adult children could marry?

When my grandfather married my grandmother they had less than nothing.  They were married until the day he died.  

Having "some acreage" might not even be feasible for them.  They may have to make due with an apartment, or a small house with no land.  That's life.

It never ceases to amaze me that these patriarchs feel entitled to such control.  

20 minutes ago, Black Aliss said:

We speculate on what will happen to the Maxwell, Botkin, Arndt, and other chidults once the parents pass away. It will be interesting to see what happens here. I predict the siblings will continue to live on their urban homestead.

Exactly.  What happens to a fundie kidult when The Maker of Family Decisions passes away?

Can you imagine the second guessing?  What do you do when there's no one to tell you what to do?  No one to control you...

 

Hell, Terri Maxwell wouldn't have the wherewithal to order a damn pizza for dinner. The Lord put Steve in charge of calling Pizza Hut. 

[quiversR4hunting]

@Black Aliss I tried to do some digging but nothing seems to be said about the mother or the 4th child. The websites I found only mention dad and 3 kids. Even his obit of sorts on the family fb only mentions the 3 "kids". He has done a good job scrubbing his history. Can you help filling more history?

[Black Aliss]

2 hours ago, quiversR4hunting said:

@Black Aliss I tried to do some digging but nothing seems to be said about the mother or the 4th child. The websites I found only mention dad and 3 kids. Even his obit of sorts on the family fb only mentions the 3 "kids". He has done a good job scrubbing his history. Can you help filling more history?

I agree, you'd think there were just the three kids. Search FJ for "Dervais Family" for at least one old thread about them.  Or, if you really really want to go down a rabbit hole, thehiddenyears.org.

 

ETA: searching the internet for the names of various family members will turn up different articles on the family, and their early years. Also they are on Facebook, including their  mother, Mignon Rubio,  although they are all fairly private.

[quiversR4hunting]

10 hours ago, Black Aliss said:

I agree, you'd think there were just the three kids. Search FJ for "Dervais Family" for at least one old thread about them.  Or, if you really really want to go down a rabbit hole, thehiddenyears.org.

 

ETA: searching the internet for the names of various family members will turn up different articles on the family, and their early years. Also they are on Facebook, including their  mother, Mignon Rubio,  although they are all fairly private.

Thank you - down the rabbit hole I go!

I couldn't find the Dervais family when I searched FJ so I did a google search with free jinger in the title and dervais and I found the thread. Here it is for anyone else looking.

Now off to read thehiddenyears.org

What I have read about their farming on their postage size lot, they should take over the shitsted and they could eliminate hunger in Breck county! my goodness! Nauglers should read their farming techniques...but not their religious shit.

[Black Aliss]

2 hours ago, quiversR4hunting said:

Thank you - down the rabbit hole I go!

Someone better harness up a team of rescue ferrets.

Quote

What I have read about their farming on their postage size lot, they should take over the shitsted and they could eliminate hunger in Breck county! my goodness! Nauglers should read their farming techniques...but not their religious shit.

No shit (pun intended)! What Jules and his family did with that tiny plot of land and a run-down home (more about just how run-down that place was when you get into thehiddenyears letters) should shame the Nauglers into getting their act together. The Dervaes family was also really good at getting free and subsidized improvements to their home that made the place more sustainable by reducing energy consumption, another lesson the Nauglers could stand to learn.

 

[JMO]

I just tried to go to their website and the domain has been suspended.  They sound really interesting.  

[Queen Of Hearts]

His gardening skills were masterful, as were his marketing skills... but his skills as a decent human being were seriously lacking.  He went after many within the urban homestead community, shutting down businesses and blogs and costing those who fought him thousands in legal fees over the years.  In short, he was not a nice person.  

[Black Aliss]

On 12/28/2016 at 11:15 AM, JMO said:

I just tried to go to their website and the domain has been suspended.  They sound really interesting.  

Are you trying their old URL, pathtofreedom, or the one they've been using for years, ever since the trademark brouhaha. This one is still live: http://urbanhomestead.org/

[MamaJunebug]

On 12/28/2016 at 3:44 PM, Queen Of Hearts said:

His gardening skills were masterful, as were his marketing skills... but his skills as a decent human being were seriously lacking.  He went after many within the urban homestead community, shutting down businesses and blogs and costing those who fought him thousands in legal fees over the years.  In short, he was not a nice person.  

Fascinating and infuriating. Can you help me find more on this?  I'm guessing googling his name and "lawsuits"? Or is there something all tidily packaged already? 

TIA,

MJB #EndOfYearLazy ;-D

ETA: Good old Google, never lazy! 

Go to "trademark controversy" on this wiki page. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Dervaes

[clese]

I found this family really inspiring with what they did in their homestead. I had no idea of the religious aspects to if they're lives. I'm a bit shocked. I thought jokes was a nice guy.

[Black Aliss]

51 minutes ago, clese said:

I found this family really inspiring with what they did in their homestead. I had no idea of the religious aspects to if they're lives. I'm a bit shocked. I thought jokes Jules was a nice guy.

(Fixed your autocorrect)

I don't think he was in a league with most of the patriarchs we talk about--Michael Pearl, Steven Anderson or even John Schrader--for one thing he was more resourceful and hard-working than just about any of our fundie headships. I do think he must have been quite the PITA to deal with. I think his children put it quite tactfully in his obit:

Quote

Dad has stood up his whole life for everything he believed in: never surrendering, never compromising, never wavering in his beliefs, his principles. Dad thought everything–no matter how big or how small–was worth fighting for.

Dad would try to right every wrong, correct every injustice and fix every mistake. Maybe that was his biggest flaw, but, just maybe, that was his greatest asset.

Dad never retired, never gave up, never stopped working, never stopped dreaming, never lost sight of the ultimate goal. There were times when we wished Dad would just let it go because it was just not worth it. However, that trait is what made Dad worth everything.

 

[meep]

Isn't acreage in California extremely expensive? He knew they would never get it.