Remembering back to my many Thanksgiving dinners growing up in Superior, I now realize how special they were. Aunt Lena and Aunt Freda, sisters of my father Paul, were regular attendees. Often present was my mother’s sister, Aunt Laura Koon, who lived in Lincoln, Nebraska. At times, we would also have cousin, Willie Jacobs, who rode the Burlington passenger train up from Atchison, Kansas.

My mother, Myrtle Schmeling, was a gourmet cook and started preparing this special meal the night before Thanksgiving. We would start with a Jell-O salad with fruit in it, then came the main course with eithe...