I knew an old man from Rutherfordton nc named slingshot turner he was the same way with a slingshot iv heard of him dove hunting with one but hes gone now would be around 100 years old
Seriously--it is too bad that she couldn't have performed in "Eleanor Roosevelt"--"The One Woman Show"! She's a dead ringer for the late, great First Lady!! She's not as tall as Eleanor, but the facial characteristics are uncanny!
I am a big watcher of the show. I will be 64 in July. She seems way older than 70 here. Not putting her down but just an observation. She played Aunt Bee so well.
My ex-wifes foster dad was from Old Fort and knew Woody well. He collected arrowheads with him and he himself once had many arrowheads but he passed many years ago. I took him up to Old Fort one time and we went to the Woody's museum in Old Fort. Saw the train and rode the country side and looked at his old homeplace. That was a good memory. Hard to believe that it has been so long ago now.
Print media should list her name as Francis (Aunt Bee) Bavier. She's not the first actress to live her retirement years in seclusion. There was only one person at the studio who she got along with and he was one of the grips. It would be interesting to hear his opinion.
I think it would've been easy for the people of Silar City to have learned her name and respected her by using it to refer to her. Ron Howard didn't like to be called by his character's name and he evenutally was able to get that respect. He and Don Knotts were able to break free of their charactor names by completing their careers in movie roles I think. Unfortunately she kept the same hair style and wardrobe choices that she used in portraying her character. It makes me sad to know that she died with no living relatives and no close friends. Maybe she was an introvert who loved a solitary life.
I think I remember reading once that Frances was from a wealthy family in NYC. Based on what I’ve read, she was one of those crazy acting elitists. She won Emmys for the role of Aunt Bea & accepted pay checks for her years of work, yet appeared to feel the show, the role & its fans were somewhat beneath her.