What happened to Opie’s mom in Andy Griffith?

The Andy Griffith Show answered many questions about life, love, and friendship, but it failed to answer one very specific question about the plot—what happened to Opie’s mom? While the writers never gave the mother much direct attention, they did reveal that she died in the backdoor pilot and hinted she passed during childbirth.

The only episode that addressed the question in the actual series was Wedding Bells for Aunt Bee, which aired during Season 2. During a heart-to-heart chat between Andy Taylor and Opie, Andy mentioned that he and Opie’s mom were very much in love when they were together.

Of course, that small mention doesn’t mean anything besides the fact that Mayberry’s sheriff loved his former wife at some point. However what some fans don’t know is that The Andy Griffith Show first reached TV through a backdoor pilot on The Danny Thomas Show. In an episode titled Danny Meets Andy Griffith, Andy admits that his wife passed away when Opie was a baby.