William and Anna HaineALTON - William and Anna Haine will mark their 50th Wedding Anniversary at St. Mary's Catholic Church with a public Mass at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 7, celebrated by the Rev. Thomas J. Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield.

St. Mary's Catholic Church is located at 519 E. 4th Street in Alton.

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William is known by most as the former state senator for this region and former Madison County State's Attorney. Anyone who wishes to provide well wishes to William and Anna may attend the special Mass.

Bill said his 50 years with Anna and family have been something he cherishes with "so many positive memories."

"Anna is beyond what words can describe," Bill said. "I would do anything for her. She comes from an artistic and brilliant family. Her father, William Schickel was a great artist and designer and her uncle, Emil Frei was a well-known cancer researcher at Washington University. Words can't describe how much Anna means to me."

Bill and Anna have seven children and 38 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Bill said he and Anna did their best to raise the children in the right way with values. Bill's son, Tom, is the Madison County State's Attorney. Bill said he couldn't be more proud of Tom and all his children. He believes Tom has a great political future ahead and is blessed to have such a good staff of people at the state's attorney's office.

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"I was always grateful to him that he kept his political ambitions to local despite multiple offers until our youngest children in high school," Anna said.

"Bill has been a wonderful husband, father, protector, and always treated me like a queen," Anna said.

The levee district bill and ultimately the certification and the I-255 development are two of the things Bill said he is most proud of that resulted from part of his work in the Illinois Senate. He said the levee bill helped preserve the area from a flood disaster. Bill said he is also proud of his pro-labor work.

Bill said Anna was a frequent visitor to the Senate floor on different issues and he always admired her thoughts in regard to politics and legislation. He said he felt he worked well with both the Democratic and Republican parties and helped guide a lot of strong bills through the Senate.

"I am fortunate that when I entered the Senate the kids were grown up," he said. "While I was working in Madison County I was able to be home for dinner with Anna and the kids and attend many of their activities."

Bill said he is proud that 50 years from now, his children, grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren will be around and they are the legacy that he and Anna want to leave.

"It's been a wonderful life," Bill said of his 50 years with Anna.

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