It was 1959 and Gertrude had read that the secretary of health, education and welfare, had just learned that samples of cranberries collected in Oregon and Washington contained traces of an herbicide which, according to some lab tests, could cause thyroid cancer in rats.
The timing could not have been worse, because in a few weeks, cranberries would be hitting the Thanksgiving tables of many Americans. But not Gertrude’s table.
And so that year there were no cranberries on Gertrude’s table at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I remember asking why. We only ate a small amount, not a huge serving, why couldn’t we just have a little?
Cancer was a real concern for Gertrude since her mother and uncle had recently died from cancer. Neighbor and friends of her also had cancer. I did not know what type of cancer but I was allowed to visit the sick and recall how awful they looked. Skinny and grey. Buffalo even had a specialty hospital, Roswell Park, that cared for cancer patients.
So, 1959 was the year I will always remember as the Thanksgiving without the red cranberry sauce, that Gertrude made from raw berries and put though a Foley mill.
I think many us wish Thanksgiving could be like the one 1959, with only cranberries missing from the table.
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