Marking its golden anniversary this year, Keenan’s Jewelry has spent five decades serving customers for significant life moments.  

Owner Terry Burt remembers couples who came in 30 years ago to find wedding bands, and now the same couples are returning with their children to find theirs.  

"It’s nice to see the kids who got married in the 70s, when we first opened, still come to us,” Terry said. 

The best part about doing business for 50 years is the community, according to Terry and her husband David.  

The year marks two significant accomplishments for the Burts. Not only is it the 50th anniversary of Keenan’s Jewelry as a business in the Flathead, but it’s also their 50th wedding anniversary.  

Both Terry and David are from Butte, where the original Keenan’s Jewelry was located and owned by David’s stepdad.  

David started working at the shop when he was 14 years old. At the time, Keenan’s didn’t have a storefront but operated rather as a repair shop, picking up orders from retail stores in the area.  

“Those are my favorite memories,” he said.  

After Terry and David married in 1975, they traveled to the Flathead Valley for their honeymoon and fell in love with the area. The Gateway West Mall, now called the Gateway Community Center, was under construction and in October, Keenan’s Jewelry opened its doors in the mall.  

The Burt’s son, Nathan, is now the jeweler at the shop. As a third-generation jeweler, he has combined decades of influence and experience. But David and Terry remember Nathan as a kid, running around the mall corridor and befriending all the other shop owners.  

Daughter Amanda helps with shop operations now as well.  

The Burts hope to transition out of work and into retirement eventually.  

“I’m proud my children are in the business,” Terry said. “We’ve done well.” 

In the mid-80s, after the Kalispell Center Mall opened, the Burts moved the business there. But wanting to find a stand-alone location in 2001, they moved into their current location, a home on Fifth Avenue West North.  

The ‘80s also marked the transfer of the business to David and Terry from David’s stepdad, who was still manning the original Keenan’s in Butte. The Butte location closed its doors in 2023.  

Looking back on 50 years, David said he was grateful. He and Terry were only 19 and 22 when they began this adventure. The first thing they sold was a Timex watchband. Now they do repairs and sell a huge array of metals and gems. To see it succeed over 50 years is a gift, they said.  

“We just concentrate on taking care of business, taking care of our customers and trying to make sure that everyone, when they leave, has a smile on their face,” David said.  

Moving forward, the Burts hope to see the success of Keenan’s Jewelry live on. In a time where things are mass produced and sold, it’s important to shop locally and support the stores that are part of this community.  

“It’s a big thing to shop local and try to keep our community from being overrun with chains and stuff like that,” Terry said. “There used to be two jewelers on Main Street, both have retired.” 

Keenan’s Jewelry is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 94 5th Ave. W in Kalispell.  

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected].