Madam Walker's Life and Her Cosmetic Products Sarah Breedlove was born on December 23, 1867, on a plantation in Delta, Louisiana; she was the daughter of former slaves. Both parents died in 1874 of a yellow fever outbreak. Married in 1882 at age 14 and widowed in 1888, Sarah moved to St. Louis with her daughter, Lelia. By 1905, Sarah and Lelia were living in Denver where Sarah invented, patented, and began to brilliantly market hair and cosmetic products for women of color. She said the formula was given to her in a dream. Using door-to-door sales techniques and newsletters to her agents, she ope