Karen has been involved with antiques since 1982 when she began working for “Mac” and Dolly McKenney at their high-end antiques shop in Augusta County, just south of Staunton, VA. Mac and Dolly were well known for the quality antiques they offered, and their Mint Springs Antiques shop was open for more than 50 years.
Karen opened her own shop in 1989, operating out of her circa 1804 log house as This Old House Antiques. In the summer of 1995 she began working for Jeff and Beverley Evans at Green Valley Auctions and in September of that year, when GVA held its first catalogued glass auction, Karen was already an integral part of the team.
From 1995 until Mint Springs Antiques closed in 2004 following Mac’s passing, Karen continued to assist the McKenneys part-time, while still operating her own shop and working as Jeff Evans’ assistant and head of the catalogued auction department at Green Valley.
In 2008, after nearly 20 years in operation, Karen closed her antiques shop. The following year when the catalogued auction department was withdrawn from GVA and reestablished as Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates, Karen was part of a select group of employees who were retained for the new company.
Karen retired after our September 29, 2012 glass auction and the following month she and her husband “Short” relocated to South Carolina where their new home is just minutes away from their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. After closing her antiques shop in 2008 Karen still maintained a booth in a local antiques mall through 2012.
For 17 years Karen’s expertise in Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG) was a tremendous asset to our firm, which made her last sale, our 18th annual fall glass auction of primarily EAPG, a fitting swan song.