Martha Stewart Biography

PHOTO: Martha Stewart

Born in 1941, Martha Kostrya learned gardening from her father, Edward, as early as age three, and baking, cooking, and sewing from her mother, Martha. She earned a partial scholarship to Barnard College in New York City, where she worked as a model and appeared in TV commercials.

In 1961, she married Andy Stewart, whom she later divorced in 1989. In 1965, their daughter Alexis was born. Martha worked as a stockbroker until 1973, and in 1976 she took a bold step in business that would change her life, and make her one of the most prominent women in America.

After a brief period running a take-out gourmet food shop in Westport, Connecticut, Martha turned her energies to catering. She ran her catering business out of the basement of her farmhouse.

Within ten years, Martha Stewart, Inc. had become a one hundred million dollar enterprise. She also opened a retail store to sell specialty foods and supplies for entertaining.

In 1982, after writing articles for The New York Times and editing for the magazine House Beautiful, she published her first book, 'Entertaining'. This book was an instant success, and encouraged her to continue this line of work, producing a variety of other books, videotapes, CDs, and television specials.

Appearances on the Today Show helped Martha Stewart become a household name. She eventually started her own magazine, 'Martha Stewart Living', along with a TV show of the same name.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia became a multimillion-dollar public enterprise but all this was to change when Stewart was accused and later found guilty of insider trading, for which she served a prison sentence.

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