Robert and Linda went on their first date In August of 1963, when they were 15 years old. For the rest of 10th grade, Robert collected 7up cans to sell so that he would have enough money to take Linda on more dates. By December of that year, Robert had told Linda he loved her and they have been inseparable ever since. They raised two children, moved states a couple of times, pursued careers, saw the world, loved, and lost family. After Linda was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, both were forced to adapt to a magnified sense of time, a new set of rules, a new reality. By June of 2022, Linda had become mostly nonverbal and had infrequent spells of lucidity compared to just a few months prior. As Linda’s condition worsens, Robert’s personality intensifies. He evolves into a desperate caregiver and protector while, somewhere buried, is a grieving husband forced to confront the death of the woman he shared his life with. First Times and Last Times documents the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s disease on the relationship of two life partners, the grounding nature of their faith, their resilience, and their undying love for each other.  

I lived with my grandparents during the summer of 2022 and, in that time, learned more about myself than I ever had before. I witnessed heartbreaking moments of grief, frustration, and loss. I also had the honor of witnessing moments of care and tenderness that reminded me of who my grandparents are. I saw what it means to desperately want for things to return to the way they were while being powerless to do anything about it. It was hard to see people I love in so much pain and be unequipped to comfort them.  This project is a visual record for my family and my attempt to explain to future Preeces how their great grandparents cared for each other in the end. 

Since 2022, I have continued to make trips to Texas, and the project is almost finished. Spending this time with my grandparents has made us closer and I am especially grateful for that. I am now a graduate student at the University of Montana where I am studying photojournalism. This grant would help offset the cost of flights to Texas and would allow me to begin putting together a gallery show by covering printing and framing costs.  

My hope is that my grandparents’ story can help other families struggling with Alzheimer’s to process the direct and indirect effects this disease has on relationships. I want people to see the tremendous amount of pain and confusion inflicted on a loving husband and wife and to understand that Alzheimer’s is like a wave: rushing forward and pulling back, a constantly changing yet immovable force. For my grandparents, their love for each other is the only thing keeping them afloat. Even today, in her advanced state, Linda is as much a caregiver for Robert as he is for her.