The Unseen Kostyras: A Deep Dive Into Martha Stewart's 5 Siblings And Their Private Lives

Few American icons are as instantly recognizable as Martha Stewart, the self-made billionaire, lifestyle guru, and media mogul whose brand is synonymous with impeccable taste and entrepreneurial spirit. However, the story of Martha Stewart, born Martha Helen Kostyra, is inextricably linked to her large, industrious Polish-American family. As of December 2025, a fresh look at her five siblings reveals a fascinating tapestry of shared ambition, artistic pursuits, and personal tragedy that has largely remained out of the public eye, only recently brought to light in the Netflix documentary, Martha.

The Kostyra children—Martha is the second of six—were raised in a demanding, achievement-oriented household in Nutley, New Jersey, a foundation that instilled a fierce work ethic in all of them. While Martha built an empire, her brothers and sisters have pursued lives ranging from dentistry and contracting to direct involvement in her multi-million dollar venture, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO).

The Kostyra Family: A Complete Biographical Profile of Martha Stewart's Siblings

Martha Stewart's parents, Edward "Eddie" Kostyra and Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra, raised six children. Martha is the second oldest. Her siblings have largely maintained private lives, but key details about their careers, family roles, and recent public appearances in the Netflix documentary offer a comprehensive view of the entire Kostyra clan.

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• George Christiansen (Brother)
• Role in Family: Younger brother.
• Career & Life: George was a contractor and a talented baker, known for sharing his homemade pies. He and his wife, Rita Christiansen, were directly involved in the Martha Stewart brand, heading the MSLO office in Westport, Connecticut.
• Current Status: George Christiansen passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 65 from an apparent heart attack.
• Kathryn Evans (Sister)
• Role in Family: Sister, and Martha's only surviving sister.
• Career & Life: Very little is publicly known about Kathryn’s specific career, indicating a highly private life. She did, however, participate in the Netflix documentary Martha, providing insight into the family's strict, Polish-American upbringing.
• Current Status: Lives a private life.
• Laura Plimpton (Sister)
• Role in Family: Youngest sister.
• Career & Life: Laura worked closely with Martha for over 25 years. She was a writer, editor, and researcher for *Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia*, contributing to the company's blog and *The Daily Wag*. She was married to Randy Plimpton.
• Current Status: Laura Plimpton tragically died in 2014 at the age of 59 after suffering a massive cerebral hemorrhage.
• Eric Scott (Brother)
• Role in Family: Brother.
• Career & Life: Eric is a retired dentist who practiced in Buffalo, New York. He is also a highly skilled artisan, dedicating his free time to sculpting, carving, fabricating Tiffany lampshades, and building meticulous American 18th-century furniture. His artistic pursuits reflect the family's emphasis on self-sufficiency and skilled craftsmanship.
• Current Status: Retired and active in his artistic hobbies. He appeared in the Netflix documentary, offering commentary on the family's demanding father.
• Frank Kostyra (Brother)
• Role in Family: Younger brother.
• Career & Life: Frank has resided in Fairhope, Alabama, since at least 2002. He gained some public attention when he was reported to be selling items from their childhood on eBay, including the Singer sewing machine Martha used to sew her wedding dress in 1961.
• Current Status: Resides in Fairhope, Alabama, and also contributed to the family narrative in the Netflix documentary.

The Shared Roots: A Demanding Childhood in Nutley, New Jersey

The shared experience that binds the Kostyra siblings is their demanding, yet enriching, childhood in Nutley, New Jersey. Their parents, Edward and Martha Kostyra, were of entirely Polish heritage, a background that heavily influenced the family's values.

The family home was a crucible for the skills that would later define Martha Stewart's brand. Their mother, Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra, was a homemaking powerhouse who taught her children everything from cooking and sewing to gardening and preserving. This rigorous education in domestic arts was paired with a strong emphasis on self-sufficiency.

However, the upbringing was not without its challenges. The Netflix documentary, Martha, features interviews with Eric Scott, Frank Kostyra, and Kathryn Evans, who speak candidly about their father's strict and often "demanding" ways. Frank Kostyra specifically recounted the harsh discipline, stating, "We had our whippings," if the rules were broken. This dual environment—one of skilled learning and one of strict control—appears to have fueled the extraordinary drive shared by Martha and, to a lesser extent, her siblings.

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Beyond the Mogul: How Martha's Siblings Contributed to the Empire

While Martha Stewart is the undisputed face of the multi-billion-dollar lifestyle industry, her siblings were far from passive observers. In fact, several of them played active, instrumental roles in building the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) brand, creating a true family business dynamic.

The most notable contributor was Laura Plimpton, Martha's youngest sister. Laura worked alongside Martha for decades, serving as a writer, editor, and researcher. Her contributions were foundational to the content that MSLO produced, including the popular blog and the animal-focused section, *The Daily Wag*. Laura's dedication to the brand was a testament to the family's shared work ethic, making her passing in 2014 a deeply personal and professional loss for Martha.

Brother George Christiansen also held a significant operational role. As a contractor, his practical skills were invaluable, and he and his wife, Rita, were entrusted with running the MSLO office in Westport, Connecticut. George’s passion for baking also aligned perfectly with the company's core content, highlighting how the siblings' individual talents were often integrated into the business model.

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Even those who did not join MSLO professionally, like Eric Scott, embody the family's core values. Eric's retirement from dentistry led him to a second career as a master craftsman. His ability to fabricate intricate Tiffany lampshades and construct authentic American 18th-century furniture is a direct echo of the craftsmanship, precision, and relentless pursuit of perfection that Martha champions in her own work. This shared DNA of self-sufficiency and skilled labor is the true, enduring legacy of the Kostyra family.

The Enduring Bond of the Kostyra Clan

Despite the immense fame and fortune of one sister, the Kostyra siblings remain connected by their unique and demanding upbringing. The recent public airing of their family history in the Netflix documentary cemented their importance not just as Martha's relatives, but as the foundational entity that shaped her into the lifestyle mogul she is today. From the tragic early loss of Laura Plimpton and George Christiansen to the artistic pursuits of Eric Scott and the quiet life of Kathryn Evans, the lives of Martha Stewart's brothers and sisters offer a compelling, human look behind the polished perfection of the Martha Stewart brand. The shared history of the six Kostyra children in Nutley, New Jersey, is the compelling, unwritten chapter of one of America's greatest success stories.