Staff
Darlo Beazley
Darlo and his wife, Pat, purchased G.I. Loan Shop in 1979 in partnership with Darlo’s parents, Joy and Marietta Beazley. Darlo attended gunsmithing school in Trinidad, Colo., for three years before he and Pat returned to Grand Island to work at the store. Although he’s seen changes in technology and loan amounts over the years, one thing that hasn’t changed is the need for loyal customers. Darlo, who enjoys helping people find what they want, is thankful for the many great customers and friends he has met at the shop through the years.
Pat Beazley
Darlo couldn’t run G.I. Loan Shop without his wife and partner, Pat. Among the many hats she wears around the shop, Pat takes care of credit checks, firearms licensing paperwork and general business functions. On any given day, you might see her helping customers, working with vendors or emptying the trash! Whatever it takes to keep the shop running, no job is too big or too small for Pat!
Jon Beazley
The son of Darlo and Pat, Jon’s firearms expertise stretches to a number of areas. In addition to teaching concealed-carry classes, he’s also the shop’s suppressor expert and handles paperwork, fingerprints and photos for suppressor sales. Jon loves “the hunt” — working the phones and computer to find what a customer wants. A graduate of the Southeast Community College machining tool and die program, Jon is married and has three daughters.
Jill Simons
It’s probably no surprise that Jill, the daughter of Darlo and Pat, counts working alongside family as one of the favorite parts of her job. Jill, who now has four boys of her own, has worked at G.I. Loan Shop since high school. Her duties include paperwork, book work, customer service and some sales. She really enjoys the flexibility of working in the family business.
Cody Thomsen
Cody, who works in sales and customer service, has been with G.I. Loan Shop since 1998 but has been a gun enthusiast all his life. In fact, he hasn’t missed a year of deer hunting since he was 14 years old! Cody enjoys hunting just about anything, including prairie dogs, rabbit, squirrel and deer. His best deer was a 12-point buck he took near Rockville! He also enjoys camping.
Ray Montelongo
Ray, who speaks English and Spanish, splits his time evenly between the gun and pawn sides. As a drummer for bands in Grand Island and Lincoln, Ray has expertise in musical instruments and audio equipment. He amassed a wide knowledge of tools while working in construction for 30 years before joining G.I. Loan Shop in 2011. A certified people person, Ray revels in helping customers with unexpected requests.
Bob Stelk
Bob began his relationship with G.I. Loan Shop as a customer, coming into the store every day. But he knew firearms so well that we just had to hire him! Bob, who concentrates his efforts on the gun side of the business, knows our customers well and knows our inventory better than anyone! An avid collector and hunter, he farmed before coming to work at G.I. Loan in 2001.
Sharon Bopp
Sharon previously worked for 37 years for UPS but has enjoyed the family atmosphere at G.I. Loan Shop since joining the team in 2016. She spends about half her time on the pawn side of the business and the other half on the firearms side. After hours, however, she feeds her “General Hospital” addiction on Hulu. Sharon and her husband, John, have one daughter and one grandson.
Copper
As G.I. Loan Shop’s resident mascot, Copper greets customers by wagging his tail and occasionally letting out a deep, loud bark! This happy basset hound thrives on attention, and despite his droopy, drooling face, you won’t find a friendlier character anywhere!