Elizabeth "Beth" McConnell was Mindy McConnell's mother and Fred McConnell's wife, who passed away when Mindy was 6 Years old. Elizabeth makes no actual appearances but her spirit has twice made 'visits' to directly influence events surrounding her daughter, once in A Morkville Horror and once in Reflections and Regrets.
Character Summary[]
The description of Elizabeth given by Mindy (A Mommy for Mindy) paints a picture of a woman who her daughter very much resembles. Reasonably tall, she has brown hair and blue eyes, as Mindy does. As Elizabeth is long since passed away when we first meet Mindy, her character and history can only be pieced together by the reminiscences of those who knew/loved her, and by her 'non-appearances' in conjunction with Mork.
Elizabeth McConnell is first mentioned in a conversation between Cora & Fred, which establishes that Fred & Elizabeth were High School Sweethearts, Cora remarking that Elizabeth never told her that Fred was being bullied in High School, the reason being, Fred replies, that he never told Elizabeth it was happening (Mork In Love).
When Mork gives all the McConnell's the gift of a special memory for Christmas, Fred recalls attending his wife giving birth to his daughter, and the sense of wonder he experienced hold his baby girl for the first time (Mork's First Christmas).
When Mindy is asked by her father, now travelling as conductor with a travelling symphony, to look into possibly selling their old family home, Mindy struggles with the request, the house being where she was born and raised, with all her memories of her mother connected to the place. However, as they renovate the house, both she and Mork are plagued by the ghosts of two of Mindy's ancestors, Lucinda and Deirdre, malevolent spirits, who have no intention of allowing her to let the house move out of family hands.(A Morkville Horror) Mork especially finds himself susceptible to the presence of the ghosts, being possessed by them. After the ghostly sisters have been expunged, he finds himself feeling another presence, a warmer, gentler one, and he thinks it wants to talk to Mindy. And as he seats himself in her mother's old rocking chair, an apprehensive Mindy watches as Mork smiles, his eyes closed, his voice soft, the ghost in possession of him recalling her daughter playing peekaboo behind the rocking chair, after making a caterpillar out of an egg carton. At which Mindy suddenly realizes its her mother. Elizabeth asks Mindy if she remembers putting her father's underpants on the puppy. Stunned, Mindy asks her mother if she's alright? And she assures her she is. Seating herself before Mindy tells her there's so many things she wants to ask but doesn't know where to start, and her mother tells her that's alright, but she doesn't have much time and there's something she needs to tell Mindy. She recalls a teddy bear Mindy adored that she hugged until it was smooth, the stuffing was coming out, and the eyes were coming out, but she still never wanted to let go of it. Mindy does but doesn't understand what it has to do with what's happened. Her mother reminding her that she finally outgrew it, and there was nothing wrong with that, nothing wring with giving up things that you've finally outgrown. Bidding her goodbye, prompts a tearful Mindy to ask if she has to go. Yes, Elizabeth confirms, but tells her not to worry, that wherever she goes, she'll always be with her. Mindy tells her she loves her, and Elizabeth departs, Mork awakening with no recollection of what was said, comforting Mindy who realizes the bear means the house, and that the memories she has of living there will always live in her. Putting his arm around her, Mork suggests that maybe together they can create some more memories.
Deeply emotional, Fred & Mindy reminisce about Elizabeth
When Fred returns later that year, with Cathy as his new wife, Mindy is greatly unsettled and as they get a chance to talk in the house, that has remained unsold, it also transpires that she is quietly angry that her father never saw fit to at least call her to tell her of her intentions. A part of her feeling that in some way he has forgotten her mother. Fred however assures her that nothing could be further from the truth. That his memories of Elizabeth are as vivid as ever. She was the first woman he ever loved. He remembers the way her hair smelled, her laugh, her voice. Every detail about her is burned into his memory. He recalls how she used to grind her teeth at night in her sleep, driving him crazy, and how, after she died, he missed that sound so much. He never wants her to think he'll ever forget her mother. (A Mommy for Mindy)
Mindy watches on as Mork converses with her visiting Mother
At the end of the following year, when everyone else at Bickley's 50th party are discussing their regrets, Mindy avoids discussing hers, finally telling a curious Mork that it is too private to bring up in front of the others, and she will tell him when they are alone. Once everyone is gone, she confesses that her deepest regret is that her mother never had the chance to meet Mork and to know everything about him, something she couldn't say in front of everyone else because that would mean about where he came from too, and that he means more to her than anything else in the world. (Reflections and Regrets) She feels strongly that she would've liked him, in fact she knows she would have. Deeply touched, Mork tells her he knows what he would have said to her if he had met her...and goes to the door of the Apartment, opening it, and greeting 'Mrs McConnell'. Offering 'her' his arm he escorts 'her' to the couch as Mindy watches, and speaks with 'Mrs McConnell' about her daughter, and how fortunate he was to meet her, only to pause as 'she' asks him whether he loves Mindy. As Mindy listens, his answer as to how he feels about Mindy is almost the definition of love...asking her if that is love, and her unheard response makes him deeply emotional, telling her it's strange that he had to travel so far to find something so deep inside of him.
Mork & Mindy 'watch' Elizabeth depart
When he wonders of 'Mrs McConnell' whether Mindy feels the same about him, 'she' tells him that is something he will need to ask her himself. Struck deeply, Mindy can only continue to watch as he rises, and escorts her 'mother' back to the door, before returning to her to tell her that is what he would have told her mother...Mindy feeling he is trying to tell her something. At that moment the door to the apartment closes slowly and quietly by itself, and Mork confesses to an emotional Mindy, that once again, through his connection, her mother truly was there, and gives her the kiss her mother asked him to. Whereupon he tells her he loves her, and she admits she loves him too.
Later after they're married, and Mork has given birth to an egg, while it is growing, in a rare quiet moment while Mork is trying to calm his wife, he asks her about whether she thought about names for their soon to be child, and she confesses she has, that, if it's a girl she would like to name her after her mother, "Beth." (Three the Hard Way)