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Related: About this forumOn this day, August 5, 1914, Parley Baer, the Mayor of Mayberry in The Andy Griffith Show, was born.
Parley Baer
Baer in a network promotional photo from The Andy Griffith Show
Born: Parley Edward Baer; August 5, 1914; Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Died: November 22, 2002 (aged 88); Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place: Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Hollywood Hills Cemetery
Parley Edward Baer (August 5, 1914 November 22, 2002) was an American actor in radio and later in television and film. Despite dozens of appearances in television series and theatrical films, he remains best known as the original "Chester" in the radio version of Gunsmoke, and as the Mayor of Mayberry (Roy Stoner) in The Andy Griffith Show.
{snip}
Commercials
Baer voiced Ernie Keebler in the cookie commercials before he suffered a stroke in 1997 which affected both speech and movement. He recovered sufficiently to make a handful of appearances at old-time radio conventions in his later years. In the 1980s he dressed in old-time garb as "Mr. S", one of the company founders, in commercials for S&W Fine Foods.
Personal life and death
In 1946, Baer met and married circus aerialist and bareback rider Ernestine Clarke. They were together for 54 years until her death on August 5, 2000, in Tarzana, California.
Baer was a long-term member of St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Encino, California, where he served in many capacities, including head usher.
In 1969, Baer gave the eulogy at the funeral of The Andy Griffith Show castmate Howard McNear. McNear had portrayed Mayberry's Floyd the Barber and Baer had played Mayor Roy Stoner. McNear also portrayed Doc Adams in the radio version of Gunsmoke, often interacting with Baer's character, Chester Proudfoot.
On November 11, 2002, following another stroke, Baer was taken to the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital. Eleven days later, at the age of 88, he died there.
{snip}
Baer in a network promotional photo from The Andy Griffith Show
Born: Parley Edward Baer; August 5, 1914; Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Died: November 22, 2002 (aged 88); Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place: Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Hollywood Hills Cemetery
Parley Edward Baer (August 5, 1914 November 22, 2002) was an American actor in radio and later in television and film. Despite dozens of appearances in television series and theatrical films, he remains best known as the original "Chester" in the radio version of Gunsmoke, and as the Mayor of Mayberry (Roy Stoner) in The Andy Griffith Show.
{snip}
Commercials
Baer voiced Ernie Keebler in the cookie commercials before he suffered a stroke in 1997 which affected both speech and movement. He recovered sufficiently to make a handful of appearances at old-time radio conventions in his later years. In the 1980s he dressed in old-time garb as "Mr. S", one of the company founders, in commercials for S&W Fine Foods.
Personal life and death
In 1946, Baer met and married circus aerialist and bareback rider Ernestine Clarke. They were together for 54 years until her death on August 5, 2000, in Tarzana, California.
Baer was a long-term member of St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Encino, California, where he served in many capacities, including head usher.
In 1969, Baer gave the eulogy at the funeral of The Andy Griffith Show castmate Howard McNear. McNear had portrayed Mayberry's Floyd the Barber and Baer had played Mayor Roy Stoner. McNear also portrayed Doc Adams in the radio version of Gunsmoke, often interacting with Baer's character, Chester Proudfoot.
On November 11, 2002, following another stroke, Baer was taken to the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital. Eleven days later, at the age of 88, he died there.
{snip}
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On this day, August 5, 1914, Parley Baer, the Mayor of Mayberry in The Andy Griffith Show, was born. (Original Post)
mahatmakanejeeves
Aug 2023
OP
Polly Hennessey
(7,462 posts)1. Thanks for the info. He was an excellent actor.
Always loved his first name.
nwliberalkiwi
(373 posts)2. Met Him At Radio Convention
I had the pleasure of meeting him at a radio convention. He was a very pleasant man and took his time to talk to people after his scheduled talk.
Xavier Breath
(5,057 posts)3. I didn't lnow his name but I sure knew his face.
If you tune in to MeTV for any length of time he'll pop up on one of the old sitcoms.