"Donna Pops the Question" was the last episode minus Demond Wilson, Lamont vacationing in Las Vegas. Bubba can't cheat at cards with an observant Fred, so the junk man decides to prey upon Donna's good nature by feigning illness. She drops by after a marriage proposal from her friend Mel Davis (Arthur Adams), the judge previously seen in "Fred Sanford, Legal Eagle," eager for Fred to make a commitment. Left alone with his thoughts, he reminisces to a photo of his departed Elizabeth, breaking down as he tries to sing her favorite song. We finally learn why he's kept her waiting all this time, a widower who still loves his wife. This is the only time we see Donna's mother (Elma Jackson), no match for Aunt Esther.