ESTHER PRISCILLA TRUMAN &
JONATHAN REED HUNT & JOHN IVINS PACE
Jonathan & Esther
(picture not available for John Ivins Pace)
Jonathan & Esther
(picture not available for John Ivins Pace)
A Short History of Esther Priscilla Truman Hunt Pace
Esther was born 4 Jan 1876 at Mountain Meadows, Washington Country, Utah. On 11 Mar 1896 she married Jonathan Reed Hunt, who later died. Then on 26 Apr 1916 she married John Ivins Pace.
Four years later a boy was born to them, whom they named Stanley Pace. He was born 17 Apr 1920 at Enterprise, Utah.
Esther was forty years old, and it had been an extremely difficult pregnancy for her. Almost immediately after the birth, she suffered a complete nervous breakdown. She was hospitalized at the state hospital at Provo for many months.John was simply unable to assume the responsibility for his newborn son. Erma and Robert hall, who were living in Enterprise at the time, didn't have any children. Erma volunteered to take care of the baby until Esther was well enough to take over.
Almost immediately following her release from the hospital, Esther filed for divorce. This was done on Stanley's second birthday, 17 Apr 1922. John did not contest the divorce, but he did apply for custody of the baby. Esther's recovery was never complete enough for her to take responsibility for the baby, so his custody was to be decided by the courts. They decided that inasmuch as Erma had had the child for the first two years of his life, and considering current circumstances, that she should be awarded permanent custody. Stanley continued to live with the Halls until he was an adult.