A Man Battling Alzheimer’s Asks His Wife to Marry Him … Again Four decades of love should be impossible to forget, but Alzheimer’s is the kind of disease that can steal away even the happiest memories. This is something Michael and Linda Joyce of Frankton, New Zealand, are all too familiar with. Michael, 68, has battled Alzheimer’s since 2010, and he’s forgotten a lot about his life — including the fact that he’s been married for 38 years. But there’s one thing he remembers clearly: He’s eternally in love with Linda. SAY ‘I DO’
and despite a long search around Wolcott, the family was unable to find any trace of the collie. The search continued throughout their stay, but time ran out, and the Braziers had to return home to Oregon without their beloved Bobbie. What the Braziers didn’t know was that Bobbie had been searching for his family as well. He may have been scared away, but he was determined to get back home. And so began his incredible journey. He turned his head west and began walking. And walking. With winter setting in, Bobbie had a monumental task ahead. Bobbie swam across numerous rivers. He trekked across the Great Plains and over the Rocky Mountains. While we will never know exactly what Bobbie endured, we know he made it home. Over 2,500 miles later, in February, 1924, a tired and beaten-down pup arrived home in Silverton, Oregon, to a stunned family. Bobbie the Wonder Dog’s story made national headlines. He received a medal and the key to the city, and he became a silent movie star in the film “The Call of the West.” Today, you can visit Bobbie’s memorial near his home in Oregon. The couple planned a vow-renewal ceremony for the following week. Linda reached out online to find someone who would be willing to officiate the ceremony. She received tons of offers, and a local photographer even volunteered to take photos free of charge. On the morning of the ceremony, Michael smiled and told Linda, “Today’s the day!” Michael and Linda said “I do” again during the ceremony at a lake near their home, surrounded by friends and family. Life and love are never easy, but even in the greatest struggles, there’s a reason to hope. Linda said it best on her second wedding day: “There’s been a lot of sadness and a lot of frustration. And despite all the fogginess, today has been pure joy.” She admitted that she expected Michael to forget. To her surprise, he woke up the next morning and asked, “Do you still want to?”
One morning in early 2018, Michael had something important to ask Linda.
“He got up, but he looked different,” Linda says. “He looked quite anxious, like he was trying to tell me something. I jumped up and I held his hand and I said, ‘What’s wrong, darling? What are you trying to say?’ He said, ‘Will you marry me?’” Linda could have gently explained that they were already married. Instead, she smiled and said, “Of course, darling!”
THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF
B O B B I E T H E W O N D E R D O G
Imagine America in 1923. Yankee Stadium opened its doors for the very first time. Walt and Roy Disney founded The Walt Disney Company. The first issue of Time magazine hit newsstands. President Warren G. Harding died of a heart attack in office, and Vice President Calvin Coolidge became the 30th president. And Bobbie the Wonder Dog trekked 2,550 miles to return home.
Of all the stories to come out of 1923, Bobbie’s may be the most incredible. It all started with a road trip. The Brazier family of Silverton, Oregon, decided to take a road trip to visit relatives in Wolcott, Indiana. Mom, Dad, their two daughters and their Scotch collie piled in the family Overland Red Bird touring car and headed across preinterstate-highway-system America. Several days later, after the Braziers had settled in with their Wolcott relatives, Bobbie the Scotch collie was attacked by a pack of dogs. The dogs scared Bobbie away,
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