Was she ever on the show, or was it ever mentioned what happened to her, i.e. divorced Andy, died, etc...
2006-07-13 14:15:31 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
What happened to Andy Taylor's first wife (Opie's mother)?
All we were ever told is that she died and that was told us on the pilot for "The Andy Griffith Show" which appeared on "The Danny Thomas Show". Opie's pet turtle , Wilford, was stepped on and killed by "Mrs. Balford" out in front of the ice cream parlor and he wants Andy to arrest her for 'murder', give her a fair trial and "hang her." Andy tries to help Opie deal with the loss by talking about how it was when Opie's 'ma' died. Opie looks to Andy and says, "Who stepped on Ma?" That was the only time Andy's first wife was mentioned.
Besides the pilot, she is also mentioned in "Wedding Bells for Aunt Bee." Opie asks Andy, "Did you and Ma have that kind of love?" Andy replies, "Yes, son, we did."
We never do learn her name, or anything else about her, but there are a few hints here and there.
In the pilot episode, Andy reminds Opie, "I lost your mom when you was just the least little speck of a baby." Of course, there are lots of things in the pilot episode that changed before the first episode, but I'd consider this official since it established from the very beginning that Andy was a widower raising a boy, and that never changed throughout the entire series.
Therefore, Opie never knew his mother. Perhaps she died giving birth. Andy might have meant something else by "lost," but I doubt it. It would have been unthinkable for a woman to "run off" from a good man like Sheriff Taylor.
We also learn in other episodes that Barney was Andy's best man (he says "I stood up for you when you first got married," which I assume means he was best man), and that Barney is Opie's Godfather. I suppose it is possible that Andy had been married twice (before Helen came along), but there's no evidence to suggest this. - Added by Paul Mulik
2006-07-13 14:19:51 · answer #1 · answered by jljdc 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no such thing as a divorce in Mayberry! Aunt Bee's cooking fixed all marital issues!
Opie's mom was never on the show--she was just known to have "died" sometime after Opie was born. She may have died during childbirth or while he was very young, but it was never really discussed--it wouldn't have been proper to discuss such a thing in Mayberry, especially about the Sheriff's wife.
2006-07-13 22:29:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
jljdc knows too much about this! Scary, but thanks because I always wondered. I never saw that pilot on the Danny Thomas show although I did see the show a time or two. Memories are trapped in my very early childhood somewhere. I mostly just remember it from the reference point that Marlo Thomas, "THAT GIRL" was his daughter.
2006-07-13 21:27:47 · answer #3 · answered by Chris 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She ran away with the town fireman, John Sartain.
2006-07-13 21:21:11 · answer #4 · answered by Hippie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She died, but I don't think they specified the cause.
2006-07-13 21:18:04 · answer #5 · answered by spackler 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Come on, every knows it was Barney Fife.
2006-07-14 04:12:51 · answer #6 · answered by bubbacornflakes 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think it said that she died. becuase i think i remember someone talking about missing her since she was gone
2006-07-13 21:18:54 · answer #7 · answered by lil_miss_priss 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
she died they never mention how.
2006-07-13 22:38:31 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
she died from eating kerosene pickles?
2006-07-13 21:21:52 · answer #9 · answered by RAG MAN 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
she died..
2006-07-13 21:20:33 · answer #10 · answered by KT 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋