Did she smoke? Her voice is pretty raspy when talking to Ozzie and the kids.

Also was she like her character of the same name on TV because when I see her on this show there seems to be a brassy sort of broad lurking beneath the 50's housewife facade who could make a grown man blush with her off-color humor.

Yes, she was a smoker. Rick's long-time record producer, Jimmie Haskell, has said how he and his wife went down to Laguna Beach to visit Harriet in the years after Rick's death and she was still smoking. And according to the A&E Biography of the Nelsons from 1998, she was less prim and proper in real life than on the show--she apparently liked off color jokes and liked having an evening cocktail. None of which is to say that she wasn't as beloved by her family in real life as on the show--indeed, David never had anything but good things to say about her, and all of Rick's children have always spoken very fondly of her too.

Here's a question I'd like to see if anyone has a definitive answer for re Harriet-

In the A&E Bio, they said she'd had an early 1st marriage which ended almost as soon as it began and she'd long since been separated when she met Ozzie. Nonetheless, sparks flew and Ozzie was smitten and 'used his legal skills' to END her 1st marriage before they themselves were wed. That's ALL I've ever been able to find out about this 1st union so does anyone out there know who her 1st husband may have been, when they may have met/married and, if he existed, what eventually became of him? As I said, the A&E Bio is that ONLY source I've ever seen for this.
BTW, it's somewhat interesting that her original given name was Peggy Lou Snyder but from her teens onwards, she used her father's stage surname of Hilliard and performed under the name of 'Harriet Hilliard' [and even bestowed Hilliard (not Snyder) as Ricky's middle name ] then for from O&H onwards was strictly known as Harriet Nelson.

Yes, she was a smoker. Rick's long-time record producer, Jimmie Haskell, has said how he and his wife went down to Laguna Beach to visit Harriet in the years after Rick's death and she was still smoking. And according to the A&E Biography of the Nelsons from 1998, she was less prim and proper in real life than on the show--she apparently liked off color jokes and liked having an evening cocktail. None of which is to say that she wasn't as beloved by her family in real life as on the show--indeed, David never had anything but good things to say about her, and all of Rick's children have always spoken very fondly of her too.

Thank you! I was wondering about her after seeing her in those episodes. She didn't seem like the typical June Cleaver type back in those days but held her own imo against Oz. Plus she didn't seem overly smothering to her boys she treated them as growing individuals and she didn't seem to worry about the dreaded "empty nest" syndrome just from what I've seen on the show so far.

And is there an interview of her talking about Ricky after his tragic plane crash. I heard she never recovered from losing her youngest son and it might of contributed to her death (broken heart perhaps).

Here's a question I'd like to see if anyone has a definitive answer for re Harriet-

In the A&E Bio, they said she'd had an early 1st marriage which ended almost as soon as it began and she'd long since been separated when she met Ozzie. Nonetheless, sparks flew and Ozzie was smitten and 'used his legal skills' to END her 1st marriage before they themselves were wed. That's ALL I've ever been able to find out about this 1st union so does anyone out there know who her 1st husband may have been, when they may have met/married and, if he existed, what eventually became of him? As I said, the A&E Bio is that ONLY source I've ever seen for this.
BTW, it's somewhat interesting that her original given name was Peggy Lou Snyder but from her teens onwards, she used her father's stage surname of Hilliard and performed under the name of 'Harriet Hilliard' [and even bestowed Hilliard (not Snyder) as Ricky's middle name ] then for from O&H onwards was strictly known as Harriet Nelson.

You have some interesting questions ;) Hopefully an O&H expert can help you out! I am fascinated that she gave her Hilliard stage name to Ricky but not to David too. I wonder if she favored one son over the other.