Here's my theory on what happened to Opie's Mother. After graduating from Mayberry High School (and breaking up with Sharon DeSpain), Andy joins the Army and is shipped off to France to help with the cleanup process. While there, Andy meets an ill-tempered farmer who is not only a widower but the last surviving member of his family. This farmer just so happens to have a pretty daughter Andy's age and she and Andy fall in love. She tells Andy that she longs to flee her boring life with her ill-tempered father and come to America. Andy helps the girl leave her ill-tempered father and the two eventually get married and they head back to America after Andy's tour of duty is up,

I think you need a hobby.

I think you need a hobby.

Speculative Fiction is my hobby

My theory is she died giving birth. I can give reasons for my conclusion.
Mayberry'sBadBoy,please give information on what led you to your conclusion.

My theory is she died giving birth. I can give reasons for my conclusion.
Mayberry'sBadBoy,please give information on what led you to your conclusion.

Here's what led to my conclusion that Opie's mother came from France.
In the episode a Feud is a Feud Andy mentions spending time in France during the war. Now given when Andy came over, he would be less fighting and more helping clean up. There's also the fact that all of the relatives that visit Andy, Opie, and Aunt Bea are paternal. We never see any of Opie's mothers' family. Therefore a logical option would be either they don't like Andy or they all died out. Given what France went through during the war, my theory came up with was that Andy's first wife was French and she was the last surviving member of her family. That's how I came up with my theory.

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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.

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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.

I think the "first" in that quote was just a misstatement by Barney. There is no reason to think Andy was married twice BC (before Crump). I always assumed Opie's Maw died in childbirth or shortly thereafter.

I don't think it was ever said that Opie's Mom died during on right after childbirth. They did say that Opie was a little baby when she died which probably is the reason he doesn't seem to know much of anything about his mom.

Andy was a travelling salesman, Opie's mom was a farmer's daughter...

Where is it found that states Andy was ever a traveling salesman ?

Opie's mom was an early barnyard porn star who died of peritonitis when a horse was lowered onto her too quickly.