Yeah, he was. The character was a grown man who acted like a child sometimes, but you couldn't help but like him, as frustrating as he could be to the sheriff. One of the priceless episodes there dealt with how Ernest was in love with a girl who was some sort of local heiress, only to find that she was related to a man who had made his money in charcoal. The funny part was that the man had to burn the town of Mayberry to do it!LOL
Basically, the girl came from a family that was just as fruity as Ernest! Anyway, it all showed that Howard Morris was one hell of an actor to be able to carry off such a part & to make him one of the most memorable on television. Sad to say, he will be missed.