Esther Anderson (LaWanda Page), also known as Aunt Esther, is the Bible-toting sister of Fred's late wife Elizabeth. Esther is a staunchly religious, rather humorless individual, though she is very kind and loving towards her nephew Lamont. Fred and Esther dislike each other intensely. Fred's trademark response to Esther's entrance is to make an exaggerated grimace followed by colorful insults and comparisons to various animals ("Esther, I could stick your face in some dough and make gorilla cookies") and well-known movie characters such as King Kong (often referring to her as "Esther Kong") and Godzilla. Her usual reaction to his antics is to scowl and exclaim "watch it, sucka!" Other times, she will threaten Fred with violence, with phrases like "I'll knock you so far down in your socks, you'll think you wearing a turtleneck sweater!", or she swings her purse at Fred while angrily calling him "old fish-eyed fool" or "old heathen". When leaving the Sanford home, she often exclaims "oh glory!" or "hallelujah!" Her long-suffering but loving alcoholic husband Woodrow (played by Raymond Allen) began appearing infrequently later in the series. Woodrow eventually became sober so he and Esther could adopt a young orphan (Eric Laneuville). Fred and Esther called a temporary truce in "My Fair Esther." Esther first appeared in early 1973, in the series' 29th episode, ("The Big Party"), and would eventually replace her sister Ethel (Beah Richards), the first main in-law character.