Hunts celebrate 50 years

Bill and Ann Hunt on their wedding day 50 years ago and today. Over the course of their marriage, they raised six daughters in Gulf Breeze and operated a family business.

Bill and Ann Hunt celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 29, 2007.

In the age of meeting through personal ads on the internet, Bill met his future wife in an article from the hometown newspaper, the Winfield Journal.

Ann had moved to Pensacola from Winfield, Ala. to become a school teacher in the Escambia County School system after graduating from Florence State Teachers College. An article was placed in the newspaper announcing her employment, and a very observant best friend, Bill Smith of Winfield, read the article and noticed that Ann came from a town only nine miles away from Bill's hometown of Guin, Ala.

A phone call to Bill caused more phone calls to locate this newcomer to Pensacola.

Bill had graduated from Alabama Polytechnic Institute, now known as Auburn University, with a degree in Building Science and had started employment as an Estimator for Blanchard Construction Company in Pensacola.

Bill and Ann met for a blind date and spent the evening at Paradise Beach, a popular restaurant and nightclub on Perdido Bay. Bill spent many nights working at his job while Ann patiently graded school papers at his office. Within a month, Bill announced to Ann that they were getting married and a wedding was planned for June, four months later.

After school let out for the summer, Ann went home to finish preparations for the wedding in the country church she was raised. Bill would write letters to Ann because there was no telephone. The day of the wedding, the weather was hot and humid causing the candles to droop. Bill and Ann spent their honeymoon in New Orleans and then made their home in Pensacola.

A year later, Bill and Ann had the first of six daughters. While Ann stayed home to raise the girls, Bill started a construction company, Guin & Hunt, Inc. After several years, he started Gulf-Atlantic Constructors, Inc. as an equipment leasing company and later a sitework construction company.

They moved to Gulf Breeze in 1966 and joined the Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church which they are still active members. The six daughters all graduated from Gulf Breeze High School and Pensacola Junior College before beginning their individual education paths at various universities.

The daughters and their families include: Elizabeth (Bill) Puckett of Vienna, Va., Diane Johnson of Birmingham, Ala., Rebecca (Danny) Farmer of Birmingham, Ala.; Pam (Phil) Caddell of Gulf Breeze; Cindy (Mike) Russell of Fairview, Texas, and Angie Hunt of Pensacola.

Bill and Ann are proud grandparents of eight grandsons and three granddaughters. A celebration was held at the Clubhouse of Tristan Towers with family and friends and catered by Big Sexy Foods.