File-This Aug. 5, 1966, file photo shows members of the Trapp family as they gave a public concert at the family lodge in Stowe, Vermont,under the direction of Msgr, Franz Wasner, their chaplain, and... (Associated Press) 
 
 File-This Aug. 5, 1966, file photo shows members of the Trapp family as they gave a public concert at the family lodge in Stowe, Vermont,under the direction of Msgr, Franz Wasner, their chaplain, and... (Associated Press) 
 
 STOWE, Vt. (AP) — Maria von Trapp, the last surviving member and second-eldest daughter of the musical family whose escape from Nazi-occupied Austria was the basis for "The Sound of Music," has died. She was 99. 
 
 Von Trapp died at her home in Vermont on Tuesday, according to her brother Johannes von Trapp. 
 
 "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." She was portrayed as Louisa in the 1959 Broadway musical and a 1965 film, which won the Oscar for best picture. 
 
 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 musical and film. 
 
 "The Sound of Music" was based loosely on a 1949 book by von Trapp's second wife, also Maria von Trapp, who died in 1987. It tells the story of an Austrian woman who married a widower with seven children and teaches them music. 
 
 In 1938, the family escaped from Nazi-occupied Austria and performed concert tours throughout Europe and then a three-month tour in America. The family settled in Vermont in the early 1940s and opened a ski lodge in Stowe. 
 
 Von Trapp played accordion and taught Austrian dance with sister Rosmarie at the lodge. 
 
 She wrote in a biography posted on the Trapp Family's website that she was born in the Austrian Alps after her family fled fighting from World War I and that she was surrounded by music growing up. 
 
 "Father played the violin, accordion and mandolin. Mother played piano and violin," she wrote. "I have fond memories of our grandmother playing the piano for us after meals." 
 
 Her biography on the website also said that she worked as a lay missionary in Papua, New Guinea. 
 
 Rosmarie von Trapp, Johannes von Trapp and Eleonore Von Trapp Campbell were born to Georg von Trapp and Maria von Trapp. ||||| The hills are alive with a sound of Judice! On the Dec. 7 episode of Saturday Night Live, comedic veteran Kristen Wiig returned to the show that made her a household name to reprise the role of Judice -- the girl with the large forehead, tiny Barbie hands, and awkward sentiments. Judice made her appearance in the Sound of Music spoof that opened last night's episode. 
 
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 She played one of the Von Trapp children, who had some interesting incites into the musical's iconic songs. 
 
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 The Sound of Music Live aired on NBC last Thursday, Dec. 5 to a large viewership but mixed reviews. Country singer Carrie Underwood starred in the main role as Maria Von Trapp, and after hearing some negative critiques, she tweeted on Dec. 6, "Plain and simple: Mean people need Jesus. They will be in my prayers tonight...1 Peter 2:1-25." 
 
 But SNL had no problem spoofing the talked-about production. Though they didn't directly reference Underwood or the talk around her performance, SNL cast member Kate McKinnon stepped up to play her role as Maria Von Trapp. Taran Killiam took on the role of Captain Von Trapp (which True Blood's Stephen Moyer played in the live show), and SNL vet Fred Armisen returned at the end of the clip as the Von Trapp family friend Max Detweiler, and along with Wiig declared, "Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" 
 
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 Tell Us: Do you think SNL did a good job spoofing The Sound of Music? ||||| Image copyright Ronald Grant Archive Image caption Heather Menzies, second right next to Julie Andrews, has died aged 68 
 
 Heather Menzies-Urich, who played Louisa Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, has died aged 68. 
 
 Her death was announced by the estate of the musical's creators, Rodgers & Hammerstein, on Monday. 
 
 She was diagnosed with brain cancer four weeks ago and died on Christmas Eve, news site TMZ quoted her son Ryan as saying. 
 
 "She was an actress, a ballerina and loved living her life to the fullest," he told TMZ. 
 
 Born Heather Menzies in Toronto, she was 15 when the musical film was released in 1965. It went on to win 10 Oscars, including best picture. 
 
 She played the mischievous third Von Trapp child Louisa, but her later television and film appearances did not hit the same heights. 
 
 At 23, she posed nude for Playboy magazine under the headline The Tender Trapp, a decision she said horrified her Presbyterian parents, who were originally from Scotland. 
 
 She married actor and film producer Robert Urich in 1975, but he died in 2002. 
 
 Among those to pay tribute were Kym Karath, who played Gretl in the film. 
 
 "Heather was part of 'the family'," Ted Chapin, of the Rodgers & Hammerstein estate, said. 
 
 "Heather was a cheerful and positive member of the group, always hoping for the next gathering. We are all lucky to have known her, and she will happily live on in that beautiful movie. We will miss her." 
 
 Her death comes 14 months after that of Charmian Carr, who played the eldest Von Trapp daughter Liesl.
– The final surviving member of the singing von Trapp family that fled the Nazis in World War II and inspired The Sound of Music has died at the age of 99 in Stowe, Vt. Maria von Trapp was the third of seven children of Georg von Trapp and his first wife; she was the inspiration for Louisa in the famous musical and film. "She was a lovely woman who was one of the few truly good people," said brother Johannes von Trapp, a son born later to Georg von Trapp and his second wife, also named Maria. "There wasn't a mean or miserable bone in her body. I think everyone who knew her would agree with that." After escaping Austria, the von Trapps settled in Stowe, eventually opening a ski lodge, where Maria von Trapp played accordion and taught Austrian dance with a younger sister. She recalled, well, the sounds of music surrounding her early years in an online biography, notes the AP. "Father played the violin, accordion, and mandolin. Mother played piano and violin," she wrote. "I have fond memories of our grandmother playing the piano for us after meals." She also served as a missionary in Papua, New Guinea. The family was fairly long-lived: Maria's older sister, Agathe, died three years ago at age 97.