Oh, no one could cook, bake (particularly pecan pie and cornbread biscuits), clean house, or be a better surrogate grandmother to Opie like sweet, lovable, kind, patient, Aunt Bee.

You need someone to contribute meals to church events or bring a picnic basket full of her best home cooking to Mayberry’s jail inmates (Awww, Otis!) at the drop of a hat? Aunt Bee’s your girl.

Oh, how I relished every second Aunt Esther was on the TV screen. What a presence she had—and that attitude of hers! Who doesn’t love a hat-wearing, heavy purse-flailing, God-fearing, cantankerous old woman who can belt out the insults with the best of them? And she was definitely the perfect verbal sparring partner for Fred.

Oh, lovable, bumbling, forgetful, well-meaning, doorknob obsessed, sweet witch, Aunt Clara. It’s no wonder she was the only relative of Samantha’s who Darrin adored.

Clearly, getting older affected her powers. Not only would the poor dear stumble in and out when she entered and exited a location, but her spell-casting was rather rusty; her spells never played out as she intended. Nothing but debacles. Awww.