Family Turns Mushroom Hunt Into Annual Reunion
Daily Journal, Park Hills, St. Francois County, Missouri, April 23, 2003

Eight-year-old Garrett DeBlois and his grandmother, Shirley Compton, posed with the 551 mushrooms they picked Friday. The Compton family makes mushroom hunting an annual event.

BONNE TERRE -- Some people have family reunions in the park.

The Compton family have an annual mushroom hunt at an undisclosed location near Bonne Terre.

"It's usually about the time taxes are due," Shirley Compton said.

Members of the Compton family have been going mushroom hunting for about 50 years. Every year they use some of their vacation days in April to go out in the field and look for mushrooms.

Shirley said she started hunting for mushrooms when she was a little girl.

"It was just a thing to do," she said. "My whole family went mushroom hunting. I carried it over to my own family."

With Compton's own family -- it is more than just a hobby, it's a family tradition. It's a whole day event.

"We take a picnic lunch and make a day of it," she said.

Every family member who is off work goes hunting for mushrooms. This year it was just five of them: Shirley; her son, Eddie Compton; her daughter, Trudy DeBlois, and two grandsons, Jason Compton and Garrett DeBlois.

But everyone in her family from her three children and four grandchildren to her one great-grandchild hunts for mushrooms.

"We'd rather go hunting for mushrooms than go shopping," Trudy said.

Trudy has been hunting for mushrooms since she was five or six. Her 8-year-old son, Garrett, has been hunting for mushrooms since he was old enough to walk. She even remembers taking him along while she was on maternity leave.

Trudy said her son's favorite month is April because it's the month of his birthday and because he gets to hunt for mushrooms.

"Garrett just turned eight last week and he already has an eye for mushrooms," Trudy said.

"He can spot them before anyone else does," Shirley said.

The mushrooms they look for -- morels -- are hard to spot because they blend in with the leaves and dirt.

Trudy believes her son probably enjoyed hunting for mushrooms Friday more than he enjoyed hunting for Easter eggs. They found 551 mushrooms Friday when they typically only find 200 to 300.

Trudy said they plan go back to their secret spot later this week to find more.

So, what do they do with all those mushrooms?

"Mom fries them up and feeds the neighbors and our friends," Trudy said. "We give them to older people who can't get out and hunt, but mostly we eat them. We'll have cheeseburgers and mushrooms tonight."

The Compton family soaks their finds in salt water before they eat them. Trudy said her son said the mushrooms taste just like fried chicken.

Some people have jokingly accused them of getting the mushrooms from the mushroom plant in Bonne Terre.

Trudy tells them, "No, it's eight and a half hours of walking in the woods."

They tried to plant mushrooms but that didn't work. The mushrooms just wouldn't grow.

It's more fun to have to hunt for them, anyway.

Shirley said it is just as exciting to find a mushroom patch as it was when she started hunting.

"We have a lot of fun," Shirley said. "It is a nice, clean family outing."