  maria augusta von trapp (nÃ©e kutschera; 26 january 190528 march 1987) was the stepmother and matriarch of the trapp family singers. her story served as the inspiration for a 1956 german film that in turn inspired the broadway musical the sound of music (1959) and the 1965 film of the same name. ==early life== maria was born on 26 january 1905 aboard a train heading from her parents' village in tyrol to a hospital in vienna, austria. she was an orphan by her seventh birthday. she graduated from the 
1905_births 1987_deaths Austrian_baronesses Austrian_emigrants_to_the_United_States Austrian_female_singers Cardiovascular_disease_deaths_in_Vermont Knights_and_Dames_of_the_Equestrian_Order_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre Musical_theatre_characters Musicians_from_Vienna People_who_emigrated_to_escape_Nazism Recipients_of_the_Austrian_Cross_of_Honour_for_Science_and_Art,_1st_class Recipients_of_the_Benemerenti_medal Recipients_of_the_Decoration_of_Honour_for_Services_to_the_Republic_of_Austria Stowe,_Vermont Trapp_family