Mike Minor, Actor on TV's 'Petticoat Junction,' Dies at 75

Hollywood Reporter ^ | 2/5/16 | Mike Barnes

[iowamark]

The son of producer Don Fedderson, he married Linda Kaye Henning (Betty Jo Bradley) on the CBS series and then in real life, too.

Mike Minor, a singer and actor who wed one of the beautiful daughters on CBS’ Petticoat Junction and then married her in real life about a year later, has died. He was 75.

Minor, the oldest son of Don Fedderson, the producer behind such series as My Three Sons, Family Affair and The Millionaire, died Jan. 28 at his home in New York City, his family announced.

Minor joined Petticoat Junction for the show’s fourth season in September 1966 as Steve Elliott, who crashes his crop-dusting plane when he’s distracted by the sight of the lovely Bradley sisters (played by Meredith MacRae, Linda Kaye Henning and Lori Saunders) swimming in a water tower not far from the Shady Rest Hotel.

Steve and tomboy Betty Jo, played by Henning — the daughter of the series’ creator, Paul Henning — then get hitched on an episode that aired in November 1967.

n real life, Minor and Henning were dating as they worked on the series, and they married in September 1968, only to divorce five years later...

In 1966, he recorded the albums The Sensational Mike Minor and This is Mike Minor and later sang the theme song “Primrose Lane” — made famous by country singer Jerry Wallace — for the 1971-72 Henry Fonda ABC series The Smith Family, produced by Fedderson.

Minor went on to appear on episodes of CHiPS, Vegas, L.A. Law, All My Children and other shows...

[VerySadAmerican]

The girls were swimming in a water tower. But it was not for drinking. It was for the steam engine.

Then again it may be where the phrase “I’d drink her bath water” came from.

[MHT]

Paul Henning had relatives in my home town and may have either grown up or visited the area. He would use those town names in various scripts when the Beverly Hillbillies would call home long distance and they had to go through local operators in the different towns. Watching Betty Jo and knowing that in a way she was a “local” girl was always a thrill. I am so sorry their marriage only lasted 5 years because they both seemed to be more normal than typical Hollywood kids.

[DCBryan1]