Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra: How Did Martha Stewart’s Mother Die?

Who Is Martha Stewart’s Mother?

Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra is the mother of Martha Helen Stewart. Martha’s daughter is an American retail businesswoman, writer, and television personality. She has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, merchandising, and e-commerce. She has received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Licensing International Hall of Fame.

Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra: Bio Summary

Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra who is affectionately called “Big Martha” is widely recognized as the mother of Martha Stewart born Martha Helen Kostyra. Big Martha was born on 16 September 1914, in Buffalo, Erie County, New York, USA. Her parents are Joseph Ruszkowski and Franciszka Albiniak Ruszkowski. She was a teacher and homemaker.

Big Martha was married to Edward Kostyra (1911–1979), a teacher who later become a pharmaceutical salesman. Big Martha and Edward Kostyra are the parents of Martha Stewart, who is the second of six children. Their other children are Frank Kostyra, Laura Plimpton, Eric Scott, Kathryn Evans, and George Christiansen.

Martha Passed Her Cooking Skills On To Her Daughter

Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra aka “Big Martha” was her daughter Martha Stewart’s mentor. She had a great impact on her daughter’s life. She was able to pass on her skills to Martha Stewart. Big Martha taught her daughter how to cook and sew. She inspired her daughter and instilled a strong work ethic in her. Her daughter learned many domestic tricks and techniques from her.

ALSO READ: Edward Kostyra: What Happened To Martha Stewart’s Father?

“My mom taught me everything — cooking and sewing. She sewed my clothes. She edged napkins and tablecloths. I did her pierogi recipe on TV. Excellent in penmanship, my mother wrote letters longhand. She swam at the YMCA pool,” Martha Stewart said.

Martha Stewart has credited her mother as the source of many of her recipes and her culinary expertise. Some of the interesting recipes that Martha learned from her mother include traditional Polish dishes like kielbasa, stuffed cabbage, and several different pierogi recipes, both savory and sweet.

Big Martha’s dessert recipes, from lemon meringue cake to blueberry buckle, are equally mouthwatering. Martha Stewart’s book titled “Martha Stewart’s Quick Cook” was dedicated “to my mother, Martha Kostyra, and her mother, my early teachers.” Martha Stewart wrote in her book “Martha Stewart’s Pies & Tarts” that, “My mother spent most of her time in the kitchen, cooking, baking and sewing.”

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Martha Stewart acknowledged her mother’s influence in her books and magazine articles. Her mother was even featured on her television program several times and she became a friendly face and won the heart of many of Martha’s viewers. Big Martha appeared on Martha Stewart Living numerous times and was also a guest on Larry King Live.

ALSO READ: Frank Kostyra: Where Is Martha Stewart’s Brother Now?

In an appearance together on “Larry King Live,” Big Martha revealed that she was “very proud” of her daughter’s accomplishments. She said: “And you know, the first thing people say to me when they meet me for the first time, they’ll say, ‘Did you teach her everything she knows?’ Well, I’ll take the credit, certainly”.

How Did Martha Stewart’s Mother Die?

Martha Stewart’s mom, Big Martha died on 16 November 2007, at age 93, in Norwalk, Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA. She died after suffering a stroke. A year after Big Martha passed away, Martha Stewart took to her blog to remember her mother. She wrote on her blog:

“I can hardly believe that a year has gone by since the passing of my Mother and I have to tell you that I miss her a great deal. Because my Mom lived to be 93, she taught me many important lessons about aging well. Observing her opened my eyes to the importance of caregiving and it dawned on me that there just isn’t enough information about the subject.”

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“Therefore, working with the wonderful professionals at the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, which, by the way, is dedicated to my Mother, we are creating a comprehensive book, a guide to caregiving. I thought you might be interested in reading the following article, which appeared recently in the Wall Street Journal.”