Frances Elizabeth Bavier (1902 - 1989)

Born 14 Dec 1902 in New York City, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 6 Dec 1989 at age 86 in Siler City, Chatham, North Carolina, United States

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Biography

Frances Bavier is Notable.

Frances Bavier was the daughter of Charles and Mary Bavier, born in New York City on December 14, 1902. ^[1][2][3]

She appeared in the The Andy Griffith Show as Aunt Bee.

Frances died on December 6, 1989 at the age of 86. ^[3][2]

• Fact: Residence (1910) Manhattan Ward 19, , New York
• Fact: Residence (1920) Age: 17 Single Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
• Fact: Occupation (from 1930 to 1974) Actress
• Fact: Residence (6 Dec 1989) Siler City, Chatham, North Carolina
• Fact: Obituary (07 Dec 1989) Virginia, United States
• Fact: Burial (December 1989) Oakwood Cemetery, Siler City, Chatham, North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Bavier never married or had children.
• Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch Frances Elizabeth Bavier (December 14, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American stage and television actress. Originally from New York theatre, Bavier worked in film and television from the 1950s. She is best known for her role of Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. from 1960–70. Aunt Bee logged more Mayberry years (ten) than any other character. She won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Comedy Actress for the role in 1967.

Born in New York City in a brownstone on Gramercy Park to Charles S., a stationary engineer, and Mary S. (née Birmingham) Bavier, Frances originally planned to become a teacher after attending Columbia University. She first appeared in vaudeville, later moving to the Broadway stage. After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1925, she was cast in the stage comedy The Poor Nut.[3] Bavier's big break came in the original Broadway production of On Borrowed Time. She later appeared with Henry Fonda in the play Point of No Return. Bavier had roles in more than a dozen films, as well as playing a range of supporting roles on television. Career highlights include her turn as Mrs. Barley in the classic 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still. In 1955, she played the rough and tough "Aunt Maggie" Sawtelle, a frontier Ma Barker-type character, in a Lone Ranger episode "Sawtelle's Saga End". In the episode, she fights with Tonto while the Lone Ranger fought with her nephew. At the conclusion, Tonto says that he would like to trade opponents next time. In 1957, she played Nora Martin, mother to Eve Arden's character on The Eve Arden Show, despite the fact that Arden was only 6 or 7 years younger than Bavier. That same year, Bavier guest-starred in the eighth episode of Perry Mason as Louise Marlow in "The Case of the Crimson Kiss". She was in an episode of Make Room for Daddy, which featured Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor and Ron Howard as Opie Taylor. She played a character named Henrietta Perkins. The episode became The Andy Griffith Show and Bavier was cast in the new role of Aunt Bee. Bavier had a love-hate relationship with her famous role during the run of the show. As a New York City actress, she felt her dramatic talents were being overlooked, yet after playing Bee for eight seasons, she was the only original cast member to remain with the series in the spin-off, Mayberry R.F.D., for two additional seasons. In contrast to her character, Bavier was easily offended on the set, and the production staff took a very cautious approach when communicating with her. Series star Andy Griffith once admitted the two clashed sometimes during the series's long run. In an April 24, 1998, appearance on Larry King Live, Griffith said Bavier had phoned him four months before she died and apologized for being "difficult" during the series's run. Bavier won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy, in 1967. In 1972, Bavier retired from acting and bought a home in Siler City, North Carolina.[4] On choosing to live in North Carolina instead of her native New York, Bavier said, "I fell in love with North Carolina, all the pretty roads and the trees." Bavier never married or had children. Somewhat awkward in one-on-one relationships, she was nonetheless altruistic at heart. According to a 1981 article by Chip Womick, a staff writer of The Courier Tribune, Bavier enthusiastically promoted Christmas and Easter Seal Societies from her Siler City home, and often wrote inspirational letters to fans who sought autographs. On November 22, 1989, Bavier was admitted to Chatham Hospital, where she was kept in the coronary care unit for two weeks. She was discharged on December 4, 1989, and died at her home two days later, eight days before her 87th birthday. The immediate causes of death were listed as congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, and atherosclerosis, with supporting factors being breast cancer, arthritis, and COPD. Upon her death, she was found to have had 14 cats and worn furniture, fixtures, and carpet. She was described "...as living a sparse life in her latter years, a very quiet life". Bavier is interred at Oakwood Cemetery in Siler City.[8] Her headstone includes the name of her most famous role, "Aunt Bee" and reads, "To live in the hearts of those left behind is not to die."

• Fact: Occupation American stage and television actress

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5WR-LFC : accessed 5 January 2018), Frances Bavier in household of Charles Bavier, Manhattan Ward 19, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1126, sheet 2A, family 16, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1042; FHL microfilm 1,375,055.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Frances Bavier
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JK1B-16B : 19 May 2014), Frances E Bavier, 06 Dec 1989; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 04 June 2018, 20:46), entry for Frances Bavier(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:KPQR-MGR); contributed by various users.

See also:

• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV3T-9Q2 : accessed 5 January 2018), Francis Bavier in household of Chas S Bavier, Manhattan Assembly District 7, New York, New York, United States; citing ED 583, sheet 18B, line 93, family , NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1198; FHL microfilm 1,821,198.
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4PB-3TK : accessed 5 January 2018), Frances Bavier in household of Margaret Bavier, Queens (Districts 1001-1250), Queens, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1006, sheet 11A, line 44, family 118, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1594; FHL microfilm 2,341,329.
• Wikidata: Item Q1281170, en:Wikipedia
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1457/frances-elizabeth-bavier: accessed 02 August 2023), memorial page for Frances Elizabeth Bavier (14 Dec 1902–6 Dec 1989), Find a Grave Memorial ID 1457, citing Oakwood Cemetery, Siler City, Chatham County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.