It's not unusual for a Rock band or even a country musician to have a group of followers who travel around, trying to make as many concerts as possible. One of the terms for hard core fans is "groupie."
And while it may seem a bit strange, Dr. George Washington Carver, the great agricultural scientist and humanitarian, has a groupie as well.
Mikki Johnson, of Nevada, Mo, became hooked on Carver many years ago when she was in elementary school.
"I made my first trip to the Carver Monument when I was in sixth grade. It was a sixth-grade class trip and I was amazed and fascinated by this man," Johnson explained.
Johnson made it out of sixth grade, out of high school and then into adulthood, but her fascination with Carver never went away. Now, as an adult, she can indulge herself into studying this great man as much as she wants.
One thing she has done as an adult is follow Carver's trail. This has included trips to places were Carver lived.
"I have been to Minneapolis (Kan.), Winterset and Indianaola (Iowa) and I have been to Tuskegee (Ala.) twice," Johnson said. "I've enjoyed going to places where he lived and where he studied and worked.
Another indulgence Johnson allows herself is to collect books about Dr. Carver. She has an average of one book for each year of her life since she "discovered" Carver in sixth grade. At a recent meeting of Carver friends in Joplin, she was lucky enough to add one more to her collection.
At the end of the meeting, several door prizes were given. One prize was a book that Johnson had not seen before so she was quick to snap that up when her name was called.
"Dr. Carver had tremendous traits and goodness. He was far ahead of his time," Johnson said. "He did great things and didn't take credit for it. We should all be more like him."
Lately, Johnson has found some time to volunteer at the Carver Monument, something she would like to do more often. But job and other responsibilities don't allow much time to volunteer.
"I did get to come down on Prairie Day and work in the concession stand," Johnson said.
That, she said, was a fun project and something she hopes to do again. She also was the moving force behind the revitalization of a memorial celebration which she hopes will become an annual event each January 5, the calendar date of Dr. Carver's death at Tuskegee.
"If I lived closer, I would be a better volunteer," Johnson admitted. "I don't think I'll ever retire in Diamond, but you never know."
