Maria von Trapp, 99, dies in Vermont

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: KOMO News

STOWE, Vt. (AP) - Maria von Trapp, a member of the musical family whose escape from Nazi-occupied Austria was the basis for "The Sound of Music," has died, her brother said Saturday.

Von Trapp, 99, died at her home in Vermont on Tuesday, Johannes von Trapp said.

"She was a lovely woman who was one of the few truly good people," he said. "There wasn't a mean or miserable bone in her body. I think everyone who knew her would agree with that."

Maria von Trapp was the last surviving member of the seven original Trapp Family Singers made famous in "The Sound of Music." Their story was turned into the film and Broadway musical.



Read more: http://www.komonews.com/news/entertainment/Maria-von-Trapp-99-dies-in-Vermont-246718221.html

[hlthe2b]

1. This Maria, was one of the children--not the Maria character that Julie Andrews portrays in movie

She was the third child and second-oldest daughter of Austrian Naval Capt. Georg von Trapp and his first wife, Agathe Whitehead von Trapp. Their seven children were the basis for the singing family in the 1959 Broadway musical and 1965 film, which won the Oscar for best picture. Maria von Trapp was portrayed as Louisa in the film and musical.

The Maria that was stepmother to all the kids (and portrayed by Julie Andrews), died in 1987: Maria Augusta von Trapp (born Maria Augusta Kutschera, 26 January 1905 – 28 March 1987), was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers.

RIP, Ms. Von Trapp

[lostincalifornia]

2. Geez, I hope it wasn't because of Carrie Underwood

[Squinch]

3. So she was in her early 20's when they escaped. And she was the third of the seven "children."

Hey! Waaaaaaaaaiiiiitttttttt a minute!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. Yes, the musical condensed and changed the real story

I read Maria (the stepmother's) von Trapp's book many years ago.

Maria was actually sent to be a private tutor to the younger Maria (the one who just died) because she was recovering from some illness. That's how she met the rest of the children and eventually married the Captain. All this took place in the 1920s.

After their marriage, they had two more daughters in the 1930s and fled Austria in 1938. They had a third child, a son, after emigrating to America.

The movie accurately portrayed the ages that the seven children were when Maria came to the household, but it left out about ten years of the story and the two daughters that the Captain and Maria had together. They also changed the children's names. I don't remember all of them, but "Liesl" was actually named Agatha and never had a Nazi boyfriend.

[grasswire]

4. so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu....

....and thanks for the inspiring story.

[gopiscrap]

6. I remember going to their place

in Stowe for a music event. What an amazing family.

[cali]

22. now they're making some pretty good beer and very good cheese

as well as the lodge and all that

[indepat]

7. RIP, Maria

[awoke_in_2003]

8. It has been decades since I saw Sound of Music...

I didn't realize it was based on a true story.

[winter is coming]

9. Yes, except it was classical music they performed,

not Rodgers and Hammerstein. Maria (the stepmom) wrote an autobiography and the stuff in The Sound of Music was only part of it. She also talked about them touring, emigrating to America, setting up the lodge in Vermont, etc. A couple of the older boys were in the U.S. ski troops during WWII.

[AngryOldDem]

24. Very loosely based on a true story. n/t

[RoverSuswade]

10. Von Trapp family authentic video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=UJPgiUjatu0

[Raine1967]

11. Beautiful.

What amazing singing.

[1monster]

18. The original Maria Von Trapp with Julie Andrews

[diabeticman]

12. My wife was just looking up the family on Wikipedia and she was shocked none of them married.

at least that is what it seems like.

[MannyGoldstein]

13. Well, one summer I hung out with the grand daughter of one of the Trapps

so unless there was some extra-marital shenanigans (which could be), there was at least one marriage.

The grand daughter was from Vermont and an Olympic skier, as it turns out. Very, very nice woman.

[diabeticman]

14. Cool. It just doesn't say on Wikipedia.

[Jim Lane]

19. A marriage wouldn't make it onto Wikipedia unless, at a minimum, there was a reliable source.

It also has to be a reliable published source, for verifiability. If you were personally present at the wedding you still wouldn't be entitled to add the fact because others can't verify your assertion.

[RufusTFirefly]

16. In the 1970s, while we were vacationing in Rhode Island, my father needed a doctor.

The doctor turned out to be Rupert von Trapp. He wasn't one of Maria's children, but I believe he was the oldest child in the Trapp family. He told my father that rather than "climbing every mountain" that the family escaped the Nazis by taking a train across the border after their father secured false papers that enabled them to leave.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. Most of them did not marry, but I think three or four of them did

One of the daughters died in childbirth in the 1940s.

[KewlKat]

20. This website has the information on the children that married

http://www.edelweisspatterns.com/blog/?p=1415

Rupert married in 1947 and had 6 children
Werner married in 1948 and had 6 children
Joanna married in 1948 and had 7 children
Martina married in 1949 and died a year later in childbirth along with the girl
Eleanore married in 1954 and had 7 children
Johannes married in 1969 and had 2 children

[diabeticman]

21. Thank you I will show this link to my wife.

[struggle4progress]

15. Wie Schon Leuchtet Der Morgenstern

[Hekate]

23. There's a 3-part documentary on YouTube when you start following the links

Google for Trapp Family Singers Documentary -- it's very interesting, and quite different from Julie Andrews' sugar and spice rendition.