Aunt Bee - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Cloud9 Lorraine · 04-01-2009, 08:19 PM

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

Scoobiedoo30 · 04-01-2009, 11:50 PM

I never heard her speck of a husband

sar · 04-03-2009, 03:54 PM

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.

Scoobiedoo30 · 04-03-2009, 04:10 PM

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

tdr · 04-03-2009, 04:28 PM

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.

TripperFan · 04-03-2009, 05:22 PM

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.

catlover79 · 04-03-2009, 05:24 PM

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

Scoobiedoo30 · 04-03-2009, 05:30 PM

I wonder how old Aunt was when The Series Debuted

TripperFan · 04-03-2009, 05:54 PM

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

treky · 04-04-2009, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

^ 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.

TripperFan · 04-04-2009, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treky

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

You Got It Pontiac!

Zoneboy · 04-04-2009, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treky

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.

TripperFan · 04-04-2009, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

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?

Zoneboy · 04-04-2009, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripperFan

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.

TripperFan · 04-04-2009, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

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).

04-01-2009, 08:19 PM	#1
Cloud9 Lorraine Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 10, 2007 Location: NY Posts: 342	Aunt Bee Was Aunt Bea widowed or never married? Did they ever say?

04-01-2009, 11:50 PM	#2
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	I never heard her speck of a husband
	__________________ Who Dat

04-03-2009, 05:22 PM	#6
TripperFan In God's Arms Now Forum Star Join Date: Sep 14, 2003 Location: Heartbreak Ridge Posts: 12,086	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.
	__________________ If I don't see you in this world, I'll meet you in the next one.....don't be late James Marshall Hendrix Voodoo Chile The Forum Legend formerly known as TripperFan "religion is for people who are afraid of hell--spirituality is for people who have been through hell"---anonymous

04-03-2009, 05:24 PM	#7
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	^ That's right. In any case, they never referred or implied that she'd had a husband.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

04-03-2009, 03:54 PM	#3
sar Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 08, 2001 Location: South Florida Posts: 391	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.

04-03-2009, 04:10 PM	#4
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	you know I wonder why Andy or Aunt Bee Never Mentioned Andy's Dad.

04-03-2009, 04:28 PM	#5
tdr Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 23, 2001 Posts: 1,454	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.

04-03-2009, 05:30 PM	#8
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	I wonder how old Aunt was when The Series Debuted

04-03-2009, 05:54 PM	#9
TripperFan In God's Arms Now Forum Star Join Date: Sep 14, 2003 Location: Heartbreak Ridge Posts: 12,086	I think she was in her late 50s about that time Aaron.