Martha Stewart Is Not Quite The Homemaking Maven We Think She Is…

Martha Stewart became the first female self-made billionaire in the United States at the turn of the century when her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia went public on the New York Stock Exchange. But just as quickly as she became the queen of her own empire, she was behind bars for some shady financial decisions. Still, her rise to becoming the ultimate homemaker was quite impressive, and you’d be even more surprised to find out who Martha really is when the cameras turn off.

Martha Mostly Got It From Her Mama

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Born the second of six children on August 3, 1941, Martha Stewart was brought up in a middle-class New Jersey family of Polish heritage. Many sources say that Stewart’s father, Edward Kostyra, instilled in his children a strong work ethic and the importance of self-sufficiency. Stewart was named after her mother, effectively referred to as “Big Martha,” who is the source of Stewart’s culinary and housekeeping expertise. Big Martha taught her daughter how to cook and sew, while Stewart’s father passed on to her his green thumb. Stewart’s parents and grandparents shared much of their knowledge with her when she was young.