Lottery player thought she was dreaming when she saw big Iowa win. ‘But it’s real!’
It was an “emotional” day for an Iowa couple as they realized a big lottery win would help them retire.
Penny Miller, 58, couldn’t believe her luck when she saw a $150,000 prize after scratching off her $10 “Feeling Lucky?” ticket bought in Boone, Iowa lottery officials said in a March 24 news release.
“We were looking at the ticket every hour,” she told officials. “We thought we were going to wake up from a dream and it’s not real. But it’s real!”
After seeing the top prize, she called her husband, who was equally shocked at beating the odds of 1-in-144,850.
Now the couple have set their sights on financial stability as they plan to retire.
“We were just very emotional because we’re almost ready to retire, and this will help tremendously. To pay some bills off and just be financially OK is a dream come true.”
Boone is about a 50-mile drive northwest from Des Moines.
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Lottery player thought she was dreaming when she saw big Iowa win. ‘But it’s real!’."
