Long before Martha Stewart became one of America’s best-known lifestyle personalities, she was the second child in a large Polish-American family growing up in New Jersey.
Born Martha Helen Kostyra on 3 August 1941 in Jersey City, she was raised alongside five siblings: older brother Eric Scott, younger brothers Frank Kostyra and George Christiansen, and younger sisters Kathryn Evans and Laura Plimpton.
The family eventually settled in Nutley, New Jersey, where the children grew up under the strict expectations of their father, Edward “Eddie” Kostyra, while their mother, Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra, played a central role in teaching the children domestic skills.
Eric Scott Was Martha’s Older Brother
Martha was not the oldest child in the Kostyra family. That position belonged to Eric Scott, her only older sibling.
Eric has been described as an outdoorsman, craftsman and skilled DIY enthusiast. Although he pursued a career as a dentist, he developed a reputation within the family for his ability to build, repair and create things.
Martha has previously praised his talents, noting that he could sculpt, carve, make Tiffany-style lampshades and build furniture.
Eric also featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary Martha, where he spoke candidly about the family’s childhood and their father’s demanding approach to parenting.
He recalled that their father expected his instructions to be followed and that failing to meet his standards could result in punishment.
Eric has also acknowledged that the family’s demanding gardening routine left him with little affection for the activity later in life.
Frank Kostyra Remains Away From the Spotlight
Frank Kostyra is another of Martha’s surviving siblings, although considerably less is publicly known about his personal life.
Like Eric, Frank contributed to the family story in the Netflix documentary, recalling the strict discipline imposed by their father.
He described a childhood in which the children were expected to meet high standards and remembered being subjected to physical punishment when they failed to do so.
Beyond those recollections, Frank has largely maintained a private life away from the level of public attention surrounding his famous sister.
Kathryn Evans Has Always Kept a Low Profile
Martha’s younger sister Kathryn, sometimes known as Kathy, has remained one of the family’s more private members.
Despite avoiding the spotlight, she has supported Martha through some of the most difficult periods of her career.
Kathryn and their mother were present during Martha’s highly publicised 2004 legal proceedings, standing by her as she faced the insider-trading case.
She also contributed to the 2024 documentary, recalling the attention Martha attracted during her early modelling years.
Kathryn’s recollections offered another perspective on Martha before she became the household name known around the world.
Laura Plimpton Built a Career Alongside Martha
Laura Plimpton, the youngest of the six Kostyra children, developed the closest professional relationship with Martha.
She worked with her sister for decades, contributing to Martha Stewart’s expanding business empire through editing, research, writing and photography.
Laura’s professional involvement began during the early stages of Martha’s business career and continued for many years as the brand developed into a major media and lifestyle enterprise.
The sisters’ professional relationship was therefore also a family partnership that lasted for decades.
Laura’s Sudden Death Devastated the Family
Laura died unexpectedly in August 2014 at the age of 59.
According to accounts of her death, she became suddenly unwell after taking a shower and was taken to hospital, where doctors determined that she had suffered a massive brain haemorrhage.
Laura had left a living will, allowing her children to say goodbye while she remained on life support and medical teams completed organ-donation procedures.
Martha later paid tribute to her sister, describing Laura as an extraordinary mother, wife and sister.
She also dedicated a Japanese maple grove at her estate to Laura’s memory.
George Christiansen Shared Martha’s Love of Making Things
Martha’s younger brother George Christiansen was also involved in practical work and shared some of his sister’s interests.
George worked as a contractor and operated Pequot Remodelling, a company that was involved in renovating one of Martha’s former homes.
His wife, Rita, also worked in Martha’s Connecticut offices, further connecting George’s family with Martha’s business world.
George was particularly interested in baking and, like Martha, had a strong connection to food and the kitchen.
George Died Unexpectedly in 2017
George died in 2017 at the age of 65 after becoming suddenly ill at his Connecticut home.
He was reportedly suspected to have suffered a heart attack.
Before his death, George had spoken positively about his childhood, recalling the family’s connection with nature, gardening and living off the land.
His death meant that Martha lost another sibling only a few years after Laura’s passing.
The Kostyra Children Grew Up Under a Strict Father
The family story became a major focus of the 2024 Netflix documentary Martha, which provided a less polished picture of the household in which Martha and her siblings were raised.
Edward Kostyra was remembered by his children as demanding and highly critical.
The siblings recalled that their father expected them to work hard and follow his instructions, with physical discipline also forming part of their upbringing.
Gardening, household responsibilities and contributing to the family were treated seriously.
Martha was introduced to gardening as a young child, while her mother taught her skills including cooking and sewing.
Those early lessons would eventually become closely connected to the lifestyle empire Martha built as an adult.
Martha’s Relationship With Eric Was Once Strained
Despite the family’s close ties, Martha’s relationships with her siblings have not always been straightforward.
Eric revealed that he and Martha were estranged for around five years.
The two eventually reconciled around the time Martha faced her highly publicised insider-trading case in 2004.
Eric said he found it difficult to watch his sister go through the ordeal and felt compelled to support her during the crisis.
Their reconciliation became another chapter in a complicated family history shaped by both closeness and periods of distance.
Their Mother Was Known as ‘Big Martha’
The family was also strongly influenced by Martha’s mother, Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra, who was affectionately known as “Big Martha.”
Born in 1914, she was a former teacher who played an important role in raising the six children.
She taught Martha domestic skills that later became central to her daughter’s career, particularly cooking and sewing.
Big Martha died in November 2007 at the age of 93.
Her influence remained visible in Martha’s approach to food, entertaining and homemaking long after her death.
Martha’s Polish-American Roots Run Deep
Martha and her siblings were raised in a Polish-American household.
Their parents were born in the United States, while all four of Martha’s grandparents were immigrants from southeastern Poland who arrived in America through the Ellis Island era.
The family’s heritage was therefore an important part of the environment in which Martha grew up.
The combination of immigrant family values, hard work and domestic skills became part of the foundation from which she eventually built her career.
The 2024 Documentary Reopened the Family Story
The release of Martha on Netflix in October 2024 brought renewed attention to the Kostyra family.
All three of Martha’s surviving siblings — Eric, Frank and Kathryn — participated in the documentary, although they remained off-camera.
Their accounts provided insight into the family environment behind Martha’s carefully constructed public image.
Martha herself has been critical of aspects of the documentary, describing the film as somewhat lacking in depth, but it nevertheless prompted renewed interest in her upbringing and family relationships.
Martha’s Siblings Help Explain Her Extraordinary Career
The story of Martha Stewart’s siblings provides a different perspective on the lifestyle personality’s rise to fame.
Eric’s craftsmanship, Laura’s long professional partnership with Martha, George’s work in construction and baking, and the family’s shared experiences under a demanding father all form part of the background to Martha’s career.
Two of her siblings, Laura and George, have since died, leaving Eric, Frank and Kathryn as her surviving siblings.
Together, their stories reveal a family that experienced hardship, strict parenting, professional collaboration, estrangement, reconciliation and loss — experiences that helped shape the woman who eventually became one of America’s most recognisable lifestyle brands.
