CREATOR OF ORIGINAL ROUND TOP ANTIQUES FAIR DIES

  

The creator of the Original Round Top Antiques Fair over 50 years ago has died.

Emma Lee Turney died Saturday at the age of 92.

Turney organized the first antique show in 1968 at the Round Top Rifle Hall with 26 dealers.  In the years since, antique shopping in and around Round Top has gained a massive following.

Barbara Tungate, a good friend of Turney, said in a statement that Turney was “a mighty force.”  She said the seeds that Turney planted “continue to thrive in the greater Round Top area and impact the lives of thousands of dealers and visitors.”

Turney, according to Tungate, was the first to have an antique co-op, renting out downstairs rooms to a group of dealers, including June Worrell, who became a nationally known dealer in American furniture.

Turney retired in 2005, selling the Original Round Top Antiques Fair to Susan Franks.  This year’s installment of the spring show is set for March 29^th through April 3^rd.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.