Amalija Knavs (née Ulčnik; July 9, 1945 – January 9, 2024) was a Slovenian-American woman who was the mother of Melania Trump, the wife of former U.S. president Donald Trump and First Lady of the United States from 2017 to 2021.[1][2]
Amalija Knavs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Amalija Ulčnik July 9, 1945 |
| Died | January 9, 2024 (aged 78) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Citizenship |
|
| Spouse |
Viktor Knavs (m. 1966) |
| Children | 2, including Melania Trump |
| Relatives | Donald Trump (son-in-law) Barron Trump (grandson) |
In 2018, Knavs and her husband, Viktor, obtained green cards and then became naturalized U.S. citizens using the U.S.'s family-based immigration program.
Early life
editAmalija Ulčnik was born on July 9, 1945, in Judendorf-Straßengel, Austria. She was raised there and in Slovenia, which was at the time part of Yugoslavia. Her mother, Amalija (Gliha) Ulčnik, was a seamstress and homemaker and her father, Anton Ulčnik, was a cobbler and later a red-onion farmer.[1]
In her youth she worked on her family's onion farm. From 1964 to 1997, she worked at a state-owned children's clothing factory where she created and monitored textile patterns.[1]
Knavs met her husband, Viktor, a member of the Sevnica Communist Party in 1966.[3] After marrying, they lived in Sevnica, Slovenia.[4] The couple had two daughters: Ines (b. 1968) and Melania (b. 1970).[4]
Later life and death
editBy August 2017, Amalija and her husband were living in New York City.[5] It was later confirmed that Melania sponsored their green cards.[6] In May 2018, Amalija was in attendance for the White House Rose Garden ceremony which saw Melania launch her Be Best public awareness campaign.[7] In August 2018, Amalija and Viktor Knavs became U.S. citizens after taking an oath at a New York City courthouse.[6] The New York Times described her as not adhering in public to the "stereotypes of an American grandmother".[8]
On January 9, 2024, Knavs died at a hospital in Miami, Florida, at the age of 78.[9] She had been "very ill" since late 2023, with sources confirming to People that Melania skipped a Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve party to attend to her bedside.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c Sandomir, Richard (January 9, 2024). "Amalija Knavs, Mother of Former First Lady Melania Trump, Dies at 78". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ Richards, Zoë (January 10, 2024). "Melania Trump's mother, Amalija Knavs, dies at 78". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ "All About Melania Trump's Parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs". Peoplemag.
- ^ a b Dangremond, Sam (August 25, 2020). "Everything to Know About Melania Trump's Parents, Viktor And Amalija Knavs". Town & Country. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ Superville, Darlene (August 28, 2017). "First lady appears to borrow from Michelle Obama's playbook". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ a b Sisak, Michael R. (August 9, 2018). "Meet the newest US citizens: Melania Trump's parents". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ Superville, Darlene (May 7, 2018). "Melania Trump debuts 'Be Best' campaign for kids' well-being". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ Garelick, Rhonda (January 11, 2024). "The Inscrutable Glamour of Melania Trump's Mother". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Former first lady Melania Trump's mother, Amalija Knavs, has died". Associated Press. January 10, 2024. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ Chamlee, Virginia (January 10, 2024). "Melania Trump's Mother, Amalija Knavs, Dead at 78". People. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.