Last surviving singing von Trapp sibling dies at 99

Maria von Trapp, the last surviving singing member of the von Trapp family, has died at her Stowe, Vt., home, her family said Saturday. She was 99. Johannes von Trapp, a stepbrother, told CNN in a statement Maria -- who died Tuesday of natural causes -- "had a wonderful life and while we will miss her, the memories of her will live on." Maria von Trapp was one of seven children born to Agathe Whitehead and Capt. Georg von Trapp. She and the others -- Rupert, Agathe, Maria, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna and Martina -- gained fame when their story was featured in the Tony- and Oscar-winning musical, "The Sound of Music." Their mother, Maria Kutschera von Trapp, wrote about their life in Austria during the Nazi-era in the book, "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers." The book served as the basis for two German-made movies and "The Sound of Music" -- which won five Tony Awards including Best Musical in 1960, and five Oscars including Best Picture in 1965. NBC presented a live telecast of the musical in December. Maria Kutschera von Trapp died in 1987.