Two days ago Martha Stewart announced the death of her mother, Martha Kostyra, at age 93, on her website blog. Since then, thousands of sympathy messages have come in for the family. “Big Martha,” as she was more affectionately known, will be buried Tuesday in New Jersey, following funeral services in Connecticut.

“Overwhelmed with Kind Words and Lovely Thoughts,” it says on the blog, “We have received thousands of beautiful comments and we will try to post each and every one of them. But the fact that some are not listed yet is only because my family and I are trying to catch up!”

Martha Kostyra, a retired school teacher, delighted her daughter’s fans with frequent appearances on Martha Stewart’s television programs. She died Friday in a Norwalk, Connecticut hospital, just over one week after suffering a stroke.

Mrs. Kostyra was preceded in death by her husband, Edward Kostyra. The couple’s six children survive her, along with 13 grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and a brother and sister.

Photo Credit: Family photo of Martha Kostyra in September at her 93rd birthday party, as posted on Martha Stewart Blog at marthastewart.com