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Cora Hudson is Mindy McConnell's grandmother and Fred McConnell's mother-in-law. Her daughter, Elizabeth McConnell, has passed away. She works at McConnell's Music Store as a music teacher. Cora is played on Mork and Mindy by Elizabeth Kerr.

Character summary[]

Cora's family background is, in part, Polish (The Night They Raided Mind-ski's) her family arriving in America around the start of the 20th century. She met her husband to be, very young, and by her own admission only realized it had been love at first sight after some 15 years had passed (Mork in Love).

After that realization, she was subsequently married to Burt Hudson for over 40 years (script, Mork's Greatest Hit). Together they had a daughter, Elizabeth 'Beth' Hudson, who would go on to be Mindy's mother, and at least one other daughter (never named) who would marry wealthily and be Nelson and his (unnamed) sister's mother. She also has a number of brothers and sisters, both older and younger than her including Mildred and Eunice.

Having helped to reaise her granddaughter after Elizabeth's untimely death, after Burt's death she moved in with Fred and Mindy full time. At the same time she began working with Fred and Mindy in the Music Store, giving music lessons in piano and violin. When Fred gets the chance to live his dream of being a symphony conductor, despite her overtly fractious relationship with him, Cora takes to the road with him, enjoying a flirtatious relationship with the entire string section (A Mommy for Mindy). When Fred gets re-married however she moves to live with her sister Mildred in Boston (Old Muggable Mork). But shortly after paying a visit back to Boulder, despite having been mugged there, she moves back permanently just as Mork & Mindy's relationship becomes serious romantically.

Personality[]

Cora is spunky and free-spirited, with a liberal and irreverent attitude to authority and mores. She tends to eschew the stereotypical senior citizen behaviors. She cracks wise with police officers (Mork the Gullible / Yes Sir, That's My Baby), uses modern street slang easily with kids like Eugene, and pops wheelies on her moped. Rather than classical music she is in to modern and guitar driven rock and disco, playing both electric guitar and piano and enjoying Alice Cooper.

Unlike her son-inlaw, she has no issues with her granddaughter living with a man unmarried, and feels Fred should lighten up on the matter. Scampish, she enjoys poking fun and causing mischief with both Fred and Mindy, and loves Mork's off the wall humour. Even when Mork's not in the picture, in an alternate timeline, Cora enjoys boobytrapping Mindy's awful husband Cliff's side of the bed, turning her ascerbic humor on him (It's A Wonderful Mork)

A widow for several years, she still has an active social life. However, on occasion she gets the blues, particularly when close friends pass away (Old Fears), and when she is mugged it knocks her confidence quite badly (Old Muggable Mork) though bounces back when she has a chance at a level playing field.

In keeping with her open mind, she is, including Mindy, probably the McConnell family member who takes the news about Mork's being an alien in the most relaxed and immediately accepting fashion. Having suspected there was definitely something unusual about her grandaughter's roommate for some time.

Relationships[]

Family[]

Mindy McConnell - The only child of her late daughter Elizabeth, and having helped raise her after her mother's untimely death, Cora adores her granddaughter Mindy and vice versa. Cora is always Mindy's chief advocate for a freer life away from the rather prudish strictures of her father, Fred. Though she's not slow to tell Mindy when Fred has secretly gone to bat for her (Mork In Love). Like Fred however, Cora's prime concern for Mindy is what makes her happy, though they differ on what that is. And therefore backs her in her relationshp with Mork against Fred's attempting to spike it. Only once, after Mork proposes to Mindy, does Cora actively agree with Fred's concerns and try to talk Mindy around from following her heart and accepting Mork's proposal (Limited Engagement). Despite loving Mork dearly, Cora, concerned that, in marrying Mork, Mindy will forever be giving up any chance she has of a normal life, and the possibility of children and a family of her own, advises her against accepting his proposal. She is subsequently seriously shocked when Mindy caves to her feelings for Mork and tells her she is intent on marrying him. However, once she is sure that Mindy is sure that is what she wants, she gets straight behind her grandaughter, and resumes her championing of her relationship with Mork both through and after their wedding.

Fred McConnell - Her relationship with her son-in-law Fred, who married her late daughter, Elizabeth, is more of a love/hate type. Having lived with and helped Fred raise Mindy after her daughter/his wife died, both are united on only one thing, Mindy's well-being. However both have diametrically opposed opinions in regards to how she should achieve that, and on almost everything else from how to live life and especially music. They spark and bicker constantly, but deep down both love and respect one another greatly, and as Mindy tells Mork (Mork In Love) they actively need one another.

Mork - On first meeting her future grandson-in-law, she finds Mork eccentric but soon learns to accept his oddities, and regards him as a breath of fresh air, who brightens up her day. Always making her laugh, Cora also values his opinion and loves his playfulness with her, actively seeking his opinion on how she looks (To Tell the Truth). She is not oblivious to his oddness however, and it is a testament to Cora's sharpness that she figures out Mork's unearthly nature herself in Old Fears rather than having to be told. While discovery of his alien nature slightly tempers her approach to it, Cora is in general, always very positive about the relationship between Mork and her granddaughter, caring more about the fact that he makes Mindy happy than the fact she is living with an Orkan. However when things get more serious between them (Limited Engagement) for the first time she sides with Fred, and voices her concerns for Mindy after Mork proposes to her. However, once Mindy has made her mind up that is what she wants, Cora supports them to the hilt, and once she sees how happy they are together, is back in their corner supporting her Grandson-in-law and 'the kids' whenever Fred starts to rear up again.

Mearth McConnell - As one of the very few people who actively know who and what Mearth is. Cora is very close to her Great-Grandson, is his main babysitter, and actively spoils him like grandparents are often known to do.

Mildred - Is Cora's baby sister, who she moves to Boston to live with after Fred marries Cathy, but who annoys her (like younger siblings do) by professing to 'know everything'.

Eunice - is Cora's 73 year old sister, who lives near Boulder and who after many many ears of being teased about it required, and successfully had a nose job. (The Mork Report)

Other Family: Though it is not explicitly said and they never had a scene together, it is likely that Nelson is also Cora's grandson, and that his mother is Cora's other daughter (and has married wealthily). This is made all the more likely as Fred only has a brother, Dave McConnell so if Nelson was Mindy's cousin on her father's side, he would be Nelson McConnell.

Romance with "Bill Hohner"[]

In the Season 1 episode Old Fears, Cora is feeling the blues because yet another of her friends has died. In an attempt to cheer her up, Mork uses his Orkan aging machine to disguise himself as an octogenarian and strikes up a romance with Cora under the assumed name "Bill Hohner." Eventually he breaks the news to her about who he really is, and Cora admits that she knew it was Mork all along. Mork also admits his secret to Cora -- that he is an alien -- given how he's changed himself, she is unsurprised.

Episodes[]

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