Iowa family of five scoop $1m Powerball prize

DES MOINES – Mary Tillman, 32, says she experienced “pure pandemonium” after realizing a Powerball ticket she’d purchased at a Casey’s store was worth $1 million.

The prize she claimed was from the draw made on April 30, but she waited to get the money after getting some financial advice.

Tillman said her mother-in-law called her shortly after the drawing to see if she had checked the numbers on her ticket. The Iowa Lottery had announced that someone had purchased a $1 million winner in Boone, so residents were becoming curious about the ticket-holder’s identity.

Tillman found her ticket and began to read off the numbers to her mother-in-law. She had selected the numbers using family ages and birthdays. To both her and her mother in law’s surprise and delight she read off all the winning numbers.

Just to make sure she wasn’t mistaken, Tillman said she went to a local gas station and ran her ticket on a scanning device to confirm that she had won.

After paying $250,000 in federal taxes and $50,000 in state taxes, they took home a check Wednesday for $700,000.

The family plans to use the money to fix a leaky garage roof and buy a new car. They’ll invest the rest with a financial adviser.

source – Des Moines Register