And then there were three....

Momma gets all sentimental during the holidays - especially when it's something that combines a favorite book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with a favorite movie, The Wizard of Oz.

First published in 1900, it went through several stage and film adaptations before its famous 1939 MGM version.

Telecasts of The Wizard of Oz began in on Nov. 3, 1956, re-introducing the film to the public and eventually becoming an annual Thanksgiving tradition.

So other than tradition, why are We thinking of The Wizard of Oz today?

Karl Slover, one of the last surviving actors who played a Munchkin in the classic film died Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. He was 93.

Slover was best known for playing the lead trumpeter in the Munchkins' band but also had roles as a townsman and soldier in the film.

Of the 136 adults and children who were paid to perform as Munchkins, only three are known to still survive:

1. Ruth Duccini of Glendale, Calif.
2. Jerry Maren of Los Angeles, Calif.
3. Margaret Pellegrini of Glendale, Ariz.