The Andy Griffith Show: What happened to Floyd's Wife, Melba Lawson?

What happened to Melba Lawson?

One of the mysteries of The Andy Griffith Show was the marital status of Floyd Lawson (Howard McNear). Floyd owned the barber shop and spent much of his time sitting outside talking with the men of Mayberry. Not all long-time fans may know this, but He had a wife named Melba Lawson.

She was mentioned in Season 1, in the May 1, 1961 episode Quiet Sam but was never seen. Floyd also had other family members who were talked about but not shown. These include his niece, Virginia Lee, and a cousin, Lamar Tuttle. Floyd's nephew, Warren Ferguson (Jack Burns), became the town deputy for a time in later episodes after Barney Fife (Don Knotts) left town.

Floyd's Mayberry escapades

Floyd mentioned that he had two sons, but only one of them was ever on screen. Norman Lawson (actor not credited) was in the 29th episode of Season 1. This was four months before hsi mother was mentioned.

In Those Gossipin Men on January 16, 1961, the Mayberry men played instruments for a shoe salesman they thought was a talent scout. Floyd had his son play a saxophone, and he was not seen again.

In the Season 3 episode which aired in November 1962, Floyd the Gay Deceiver, the Mayberry barber, pretends he is a rich widower and tries to have a relationship with a female pen pal. I don't recall seeing Floyd's wife and second son on the show or hearing that she died.

Floyd's deception

Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) and Aunt Bee Taylor (Frances Bavier) would not have assisted Floyd in this deception if his wife were still living. They all went to the home a a Mayberry resident who was out of town.

Andy pretended to be Floyd's son, and Aunt Bee said she was the maid. It turned out that the woman he was writing to was a con artist who tricked rich men. Andy called her out on it, and she left town. Floyd was none the wiser and thought Andy had told the woman he wanted out of the situation.

What were the writers thinking?

So what could have happened to Melba? Perhaps she died off camera, and it was not mentioned, or the writers forgot about Mrs. Lawson, and the actors did not bring up the discrepancy. Perhaps she was mentioned in a fleeting moment and never meant to become a character on the show.

Maybe the writers decided while at the table discussing the scripts to ditch Floyd's wife and allow him to live the single life. The thing is that loyal fans remember everything. Today, with the Internet, people are asking questions they might not have asked six decades ago.

Mayberry and widowhood

Floyd was not the only widowed person residing in Mayberry. Both Andy and Clara Edwards (Hope Summers) were widowed when the series began. Sam Jones (Ken Berry) was a widower on The Andy Griffith Show spin-off, Mayberry RFD.

There were other older characters whose marital status was unknown. These include Ben Weaver (Will Wright), Asa Breeney (Charles Thompson), Jud Fletcher (Burt Mustin), and Emma Watson Brand (Cheerio Meredith). Some viewers may have assumed they were widowed, while others possibly believed the men were bachelors and Emma an old maid.

At this point, we may never learn the truth about why Melba Lawson was mentioned only once. Floyd Lawson, later describing himself as a widower. probably was not noticed during the first run of The Andy Griffith Show. Thanks to reruns and streaming services, and the Internet, binge-watching fans can discuss their theories, whether they receive answers or not.