Navy mom savors her pawn shop job

Real people

WASILLA — Being a mother is a tough job in itself, but being a mother of four — three of whom are in the military — is an even tougher task. It's a role that fits Dawn Guisinger perfectly, though.

Guisinger has four children — TaMara, 24, Taryn, 23, Jared, 21, and Leighton, 19 — and the three youngest are all in the U.S. Navy. Taryn is getting out this year, while Leighton is just getting in.

"Their dad was in the Navy, and his dad was in the Navy," Guisinger said. "It's a family thing now."

The naval connection in the family is getting even bigger, too. That's because Taryn is getting married this summer, to a man who was also stationed on her ship.

The Guisingers moved to Alaska 20 years ago, after visiting from Oregon. There was no doubt where they wanted to live within the state, she said.

"I told my husband while we were visiting Alaska that if we ever moved here, I would want to live in the Valley," Guisinger said. "I like it here. The temperature is mild compared to some other spots in Alaska, and I didn't want to be where it was cold all the time."

The family made the move a while later, and they have spent most of their 20 years in the Valley. There certainly have been some changes since that time.

"I try to avoid the intersection at the post office between 11 [a.m.] and 1 [p.m.] each day because of all the traffic there," Guisinger said. "There are a lot more people here now. Wasilla is getting really, really busy."

Guisinger works at Wasilla Pawn Shop, and she said she enjoys her job. The variety of people makes things interesting for her.

"You meet some very interesting people," Guisinger said. "We have our regular customers, too. Sometimes, when you get to know them, they worry they are in here too much then."

There have been times when a customer has brought in an item that has stumped her.

"Sometimes people will bring something in here, and I don't have a clue what it is," Guisinger, who has worked at the pawn shop since 1995, said. "You see all types of things."

With her four children now grown, Guisinger and her husband have some extra time to spend with each other.

"There is definitely less kid responsibility," Guisinger said, now that her youngest has left for boot camp. "Somebody was telling me about having an empty nest, but TaMara is coming home next week and she'll be staying with us until she gets an apartment, so it won't be completely an empty nest just yet."

When retirement time finally rolls around for Guisinger, chances are, it will be in the Valley.

"We are closing on a house today or tomorrow, and when you sign those papers, you are in debt for the next 30 years," Guisinger said with a laugh. "That pretty much locks you in to the area for a while."

* Dawn Guisinger said whle working at Wasilla Pawn Shop, she gets to meet very interesting people. In the past, people have brought things to the shop that Guisinger didnt even recognize.