CLIVE, Iowa — A Crawford County man’s easy-pick Powerball ticket earlier this month, resulted in his winning one-million dollars. Ron Rothe claimed his prize Monday afternoon at the Iowa Lottery’s main office in Clive. The winning ticket was sold at Kimmes Denison Country Store. The store will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket. Rothe’s ticket matched all five white balls but missed the Powerball to win $1 million in the Sept. 13 drawing. His ticket was one of only four nationwide to hit that mark.

The 73-year-old Rothe admitted his lucky ticket spent nearly a week riding around in his glove compartment before he realized its value. Even after hearing that the winning ticket was sold in Denison, he never imagined he was the one holding it. A week later, Rothe stopped at same store to buy tickets for the next three drawings. While there, he asked a clerk to check the tickets he’d purchased the previous week. The clerk and the manager came back with big smile and congratulated him, but he didn’t know why. That’s when they said he had won a Million bucks.

Ron and Pat Rothe (Iowa Lottery photo)

Dumbfounded, Rothe brought the ticket and receipt showing the prize amount to his wife’s hair salon to share the news. When she looked at the ticket, Pat Rothe thought they had won $1,000. He told her to look again, and she was dumbfounded at what she saw.

The couple, who have been married for 53 years, are still pinching themselves.The plan to put the winnings toward home improvements, estate planning, charitable donations and funding college savings accounts for their two grandchildren.