Esta Manthos- keeper of the Indian Museum

[DanM]

Esta K. Manthos


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Esta K. (Kokiernak) Manthos, 101, formerly of Clarence Street in Springfield, passed away on October 16, 2016. She was born in Webster, MA, daughter of the late Andrew and Agnes (Niemiec) Kokiernak. Esta graduated from Bartlett High School with honors, attended Post School of Business and was a member of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Springfield, MA. Esta was a member of the Women’s International Motorcycle Association, Laughing Indian Riders Club, MassMutual Quarter Century Club and a Corporator of the Springfield Library and Museums Association. She was employed by the Hartford Ordnance District and during World War II, was reassigned to the Springfield Ordnance District. She was a member of the Board of Examiners of the Springfield Armory. After World War II, she joined MassMutual and retired after 33 years as an underwriter. She was also Vice President of Solar Metal Corporation. Esta and her late husband, Charles, founded the Indian Motocycle Museum and became the curators, being totally involved in the preservation of the history of this world famous motorcycle that had only been made in Springfield from 1901-1953 when manufacturing ceased. She was a friend to most of the former National Champions who rode the Indian Motocycle. Many are now inductees in the Hall of Fame of the museum. She is survived by several nieces. She was predeceased by her husband Charles, who passed away in 1996. Esta’s services were private. Donations may be made to the Charles & Esta Manthos Fund for Preservation of Indian Motocycle History, Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA 01103 and to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children, 516 Carew Street, Springfield, MA 01104. Sampson’s Chapel of the Acres was entrusted with the arrangements.



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[Steve Swan]

God Bless Esta Manthos. And, her family.

[46EL]

Esta was a real character. And she had a lot of great stories about growing up and all her different careers and the things she accomplished in her lifetime. I knew her well. Most memorable was one year at Indian Day when someone drove a late model HD onto the Indian viewing parking lot area. She walked around with a megaphone and screamed something to the effect "Someone tell whoever owns this G$D Da@m Harley to get it out and park it where it belongs !" She also loved telling how she threw Steve McQueen out of the building when he got nasty with her because she would not sell him her 42 Four. Good by Esta and good by the good old days when Indian Day was Indian Day with all the bikes and parts galore everywhere you turned. 46EL

[Green Indian]

Godspeed Esta! I met her years ago when my wife and I stopped by the museum to see it one day before Thanksgiving. The place was dark and at first I thought it was closed, then after a knock on the door, the door slowly opened and Esta welcomed us in. She turned on the lights (she kept them off she told us to help save money) and guided us through the museum and collection of wonderful Indian motorcycles.

[pisten-bully]

Godspeed Esta! I met her years ago when my wife and I stopped by the museum to see it one day before Thanksgiving. The place was dark and at first I thought it was closed, then after a knock on the door, the door slowly opened and Esta welcomed us in. She turned on the lights (she kept them off she told us to help save money) and guided us through the museum and collection of wonderful Indian motorcycles.

I had the exact same experience! She showed us old photos of herself on Indians and I thought 'what an amazing and unique lady'. Good on her for donating her collection to the Springfield Museums for all to enjoy... I guess she or her estate could have cashed out with collectors like Steve McQueen, but she didn't! thanks Esta!

[Steve Swan]

Esta was a real character. She also loved telling how she threw Steve McQueen out of the building when he got nasty with her because she would not sell him her 42 Four. Good by Esta and good by the good old days when Indian Day was Indian Day.46EL

Too bad Esta wasn't at '77 Davenport when the entitled one made his first visit. Charles and Esta lived and were that era.

[46EL]

Back when I was a kid I worked seasonal construction and always had time in the dead of winter to visit her.
Many a winter trip to Springfield I would drive in and see her car in front of the museum. But the lights were off and she was in one of the offices with a space heater running just to keep her a little bit warm. I would sign the guestbook and many times notice that she would have days with 1 or 2 visitors and some days with none.
If I remember correctly she told me that when the city of Springfield was planning to rebuild the Basketball Hall Of Fame downtown they approached her. The made her an offer to move everything downtown and they would have an annex or something for her and the complete collection. Everything would be kept intact and it all would be put behind glass for eternity. From what she told me her reply was something to the effect that "This was the last building Indian had and it would be the last building that I will have all of this displayed. I often wondered how much more exposure Indian Motorcycles would have had downtown with the overflow from the Hall Of Fame instead of being in some dark danky building with a handfull of visitors weekly? But that was Esta. She was a strong and defiant woman. When she had her mind set on something the issue was over before it ever began. She also told me a story about getting pulled over by a Springield Cop for bad driving or something. When she went back for a road test to reclaim the use of her license she fired up an Indian 4 she had in the back room that had a sidecar attached and drove it to the motor vehicle dept to get her point across. She was something else. 46EL

[Green Indian]

Another Esta story I heard second hand was that she had ridden down to the Marcus Dairy in Danbury, CT (every Sunday bikes would gather there until a few years ago) on her Four Cylinder during the winter so see the bikes there a visit with fellow riders. Someone told me to keep herself warm she'd stuff old newspapers in her leather jacket for added insulation on that trip down from Springfield. After meeting her I can believe it, she was a total devote and ambassador of the Indian marquee.

[46EL]

I'm pretty sure when she worked for the War Dept during WW2 anywhere she traveled no matter what time of year it was was on a motorcycle. She was a tough bird but Charlie was the backbone of the operation. When Charlie passed away I made the trek north to see her and found her in a tizzy. She had flat tires on bikes all over the museum and could not figure out how to turn the air on. Never seeing a compressor I followed the piping into the back room and it went underground to the main factory next door. I turned the valve and next thing she asks me to do all the tires on all the bikes for her. I spent hours filling tires and kicking over bikes. She was grateful but in tears as losing Charlie really worried her. She never gave me anything for my troubles and never would have taken anything anyways. A few trips later I asked her if I could climb over the chains to look at a KJ to find some casting numbers to compare it with one I had just bought. She said "I'm sorry but all visitors must stay in the walkways and cannot go near the motorcycles" ??? Yes, she was a real character! 46EL