When he finally had saved enough to open up his own jewelry shop, Jim Keenan Sr. put in his last shift in Butte's underground mines. On August 8, 1955, Jim, the son of Irish immigrants to Butte, opened his shop in uptown Butte. There, he put to work the skills he learned as a jeweler for Mr. Chris Goodman, who gave Jim his start in the jewelry business at the age of 13. From 1955 until 1971 Jim operated his shop where he specialized in all aspects of jewelry repair and manufacturing. In 1971, Jim and his wife Shirley opened Keenan Jewelers in the Butte Plaza Mall, where several of the Keenan's children worked in the store through the years. In 1998, Jim and Shirley retired from the business and sold to three of the Keenan siblings--Jim Keenan, Rita Ronning, and Rhonda Lee. In 2012, Rita Ronning retired from the store. After 40+ years in the business, she still occasionally helps out at Keenan's.
Keenan Jewelers is a full service jewelry store featuring high quality diamond and gemstone jewelry, watches, and other fashionable and affordable gold and silver jewelry. Unlike the mass marketed, cookie-cutter jewelry you'll find at many stores, each piece of the Keenan's collection is hand picked and must meet our stringent requirements for quality, style, and value. We still offer the services the business was built on, offering in-house repairs, expert stone setting, laser welding, and custom work. Jim Keenan is a JA Certified Bench Jeweler, and Ryan Lee--a third generation in the business--has had training at the New Approach School for Jewelers in Virginia Beach, VA.
