A Newton, Iowa, couple won a $50,000 Iowa Lottery prize after Pamela Stockwell scratched a ticket her husband Michael had bought.
For Michael and Pamela Stockwell of Newton, Iowa, scratching lottery tickets has long been a team effort. Michael usually buys the tickets and brings them home, while Pamela scratches them. Their familiar routine recently turned into a $50,000 prize.
Michael bought a ticket in the Iowa Lottery’s “$50,000 Super Crossword” scratch game at Casey’s, 4343 S. 15th Ave. E. in Newton, and brought it home for Pamela to scratch.
Pamela initially believed she had won $5,000 after completing what she thought were nine words on the ticket.
“She said, ‘I think I’ve got $5,000! Look at it and then go check it right away,'” Michael recalled.
He took the ticket back to the store and asked an employee to check it using the lottery terminal. It was only when the employee returned with the customer receipt that Michael realised the prize was considerably larger than they had expected.
“She came back and gave me the little slip and it said $50,000,” he said. “I thought, ‘I don’t believe it! I just don’t.'”
The Stockwells, who are both retired, now plan to invest their winnings for the future. They are also considering using some of the money for a fall trip to Michigan.
For a couple accustomed to sharing the ticket-scratching routine, this particular ticket gave them a much bigger result than Pamela first expected.
