MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (WGHP) — The personal belongings of Betty Lynn, the actress who played Thelma Lou on “The Andy Griffith Show,” will soon be up for auction.
Lynn died on October 16, 2021, at the age of 95 after a brief illness. While she was born in Kansas City, Missouri, she was living in Mount Airy, North Carolina, at the time of her death. Mount Airy is notably Andy Griffith’s childhood home and the inspiration behind the show’s setting, Mayberry.
Beginning at 8 a.m. on July 21, Rogers Realty & Auction will auction off 531 of Lynn’s personal artifacts with proceeds benefitting the Surry Arts Council in Mount Airy. The auction ends on July 31.
“Betty Lynn made a significant contribution to the great Mount Airy Community, her large fan base, the Catholic Church and the Surry Arts Council,” the auction description reads. “The Surry Arts Council can state with full assurance that all of the items in the auction were the property of Betty Lynn and were given to the Surry Arts Council prior to her passing. Proceeds from the auction will go to the Surry Arts Council to support children’s and school programs.”
The auction features 194 rings, 92 necklaces, 85 bracelets, 21 watches and 18 rosaries. It also includes pendants, hats, earrings, books, brooches, jewelry boxes, a cross and a guitar, as well as many other odds and ends.