Was Aunt Bea widowed or never married? Did they ever say?

I never heard her speck of a husband

I think it's safe to assume that aunt Bee never married. No husband was ever mentioned and she was never referred to as a widow. All that was ever mentioned was that she raised Andy when he was a boy. Further, I think she is the sister of Andy's father.

you know I wonder why Andy or Aunt Bee Never Mentioned Andy's Dad.

I don't remember it mentioned that she ever was married, but isn't there some ep in which an old 'beau' comes to visit, then it turns out he was really trying to swindle her and Andy arranged for him to leave town without her discovering the truth?

Also-- although I know this is in the subsequent Mayberry RFD series-- she becomes engaged to an old seaman, played by Will Geer, who finally has to admit that he will always be "married" to the sea and could not live the settled land life that Aunt Bee would expect. There is an engagement notice in the Mayberry paper, and I think she says something like "I never thought I would make it this far in the engagement notices!"

And finally, her being never married does go along with the sitcom trends of that era. In households that had relatives or hired domestic help, they usually were never-marrieds-- Uncle Charley on My Three Sons; Mr. French on Family Affair; Alice on The Brady Bunch; but I'm not certain about Hazel; and Nanny on Nanny and the Professor. But it's also usually true that there is one or more eps where these domestics or relatives talk about their 'big disappointment' with someone significant.

Yes, Aunt Bea was never married. She raised Andy as a youngster and then when Andy had her come to raise Opie, she had been with other family members taking care of their child/children. Taking care of children for her family seemed to fill the "void" of not having a marriage and children of her own.

^ That's right. In any case, they never referred or implied that she'd had a husband.

I wonder how old Aunt was when The Series Debuted

I think she was in her late 50s about that time Aaron.

^ That's right. In any case, they never referred or implied that she'd had a husband.
that's right; I think they mentioned in the first show that she'd never married.

that's right; I think they mentioned in the first show that she'd never married.


You Got It Pontiac! ;)

that's right; I think they mentioned in the first show that she'd never married.

They may have mentioned it but it wasn't in the first episode.

They may have mentioned it but it wasn't in the first episode.


Didn't Andy say something to Opie when Opie wasn't taking to her about how lonely Aunt Bea was (because she had never married) and between that, and her lousy fishing abilities, Opie decided that she needed THEM too much and begged to have her stay?

Didn't Andy say something to Opie when Opie wasn't taking to her about how lonely Aunt Bea was (because she had never married) and between that, and her lousy fishing abilities, Opie decided that she needed THEM too much and begged to have her stay?

I watched it before posting and didn't hear anything at all that mentioned her never being married. I'll watch it again to make sure I didn't miss anything.

I watched it before posting and didn't hear anything at all that mentioned her never being married. I'll watch it again to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Hey cool! I just remembered that I have the first season on DVD myself! DUH! I'm gonna too Charles! ;) (I liked the ep anyway - Opie at his best).

Plus the fact that Aunt Bee's last name was always Taylor says something.

Plus the fact that Aunt Bee's last name was always Taylor says something.


VERY good point Monika!!


Well, just finished watching the first ep and sure enough, Charles is right - it's not mentioned there. Bea does mention about "all the little ones she took care of are all grown up now". That's probably where I got the idea that she had never married - sounds like she spent her life raising children who weren't her own, so why would she be doing that and living with these people if she had been married? Plus, having the name Taylor. Had she been a widow, it probably would have been a different name and even had she been divorced. Not many women went back to their maiden names after divorce back then. (besides, divorce was so taboo then, they wouldn't have had her as a divorcee at any rate).

I think we can assume she never married based on the evidence available.

Her last name was Taylor same as Andy's, in those days women did not use maiden names after marriage. In one episode there was an issue related to the early settlers of Mayberry, a Taylor was mentioned as an early settler and both Andy and Bea recognized him as a relative.

you know I wonder why Andy or Aunt Bee Never Mentioned Andy's Dad.

It's been a few years since I saw this episode, so I'm relying on half -- forgotten memories . In this episode, Opie and the other boys in Mayberry formed a club with Opie as the "Keeper of the Flame" which meant he had to use matches and a candle at their meetings . This caused a few fires around Mayberry . Finally Andy found out that Opie was responsible, and he told Opie that he used to belong to a club of boy, and he was their "Keeper of the Flame" until his father explained why that was wrong . Andy said "He explained it REAL good !" which implied that he was spanked HARD ! Finally, Andy gave Opie a flashlight that he and his friends could use at their meetings . I got the idea that Andy decided that he'd rather not raise Opie the same way his father raised him . It's too bad there was never an episode where Andy, Opie, and Aunt Bee received a visit from Grandpa Taylor .

Nothing is ever said in the series about Aunt Bee not getting married. What is mentioned about her past is that she raised "all those youngun's" including Andy.

Also, ScoobieDoo30, Andy does talk about his dad briefly in the school reunion episode.

The episode I referred to was "The Keeper of the Flame" ( episode # 46 ) which was first broadcast on January eighth, 1962 . Does anybody else remember this episode ?

The episode I referred to was "The Keeper of the Flame" ( episode # 46 ) which was first broadcast on January eighth, 1962 . Does anybody else remember this episode ?

I remember it but the fire in Jubal Foster's barn was the only one.