 At the end of the episode, however, her character softens as she holds for the first time the Ricardos' baby, "Little Ricky"; and, as a result, Mrs. Trumbull becomes friends with both the Ricardos and the building's owners, Fred and Ethel Mertz.Patterson's character on "I Love Lucy" proved to be so popular among viewers, as well as useful to the writers of the series, that she continued in the role for three more years, often serving in episode storylines as a convenient babysitter for "Little Ricky".In the fall of 1956, with "I Love Lucy" in its final season, Patterson made her last appearance as Mrs. Trumbull in "Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums".