Original ‘Wizard Of Oz’ Munchkin Margaret Pellegrini Dies

According to a story released earlier today by the Associated Press, one of the original Munchkins from the 1939 classic movie “The Wizard of Oz” has died.

The Associated Press reports that 89-year-old Margaret Pellegrini suffered a stroke Monday at her Glendale, Arizona home and died Wednesday at a Phoenix-area hospital.

Pellegrini was 16 when “The Wizard of Oz” was filmed. She played one of the “sleepy head” kids and wore a flowerpot on her head in the movie.

According to the Associated Press, Pellegrini was a guest speaker at Phoenix-area grade schools for many years. She usually appeared in costume and told stories about her time as a Munchkin.

According to the Arizona Republic, Pellegrini told children that the “Wizard of Oz” movie was a moral lesson.

"There are two roads in life that you can take — the wrong road and the right road," Pellegrini said. "And remember, there really is no place like home."

The Associated Press reports that with Pellegrini’s death, only two of the original 124 Munchkins in the movie are still alive. The surviving Munchkins are Jerry Maren, 93, who lives in Los Angeles, and Ruth Duccini, 95, who lives in Phoenix.