Retiring Millwright Wins For Life With Oregon Lottery Ticket

RIDDLE, OR — Richard Nelson was already planning to retire next week, but now he'll be able to do so with a bit more security. Last Saturday Nelson learned he matched all four numbers on the Oregon Lottery's Win for Life game, meaning he'll now take home $1,000 every week for the rest of his life. Not too shabby for a retiring millwright.

Nelson bought his ticket at the 1AM Market on Main Street in Riddle, a town of just more than 1,000 residents located off Interstate 5 in Douglas County. According to Nelson, he'd bought a Win for Life ticket at the market every Thursday and Sunday for some time, so his purchase last Thursday really wasn't anything special.

After checking the ticket on Saturday, however, Nelson realized he might soon be celebrating more than his retirement.

“I went into the market and scanned it and it said I have to go to the Lottery office,” Nelson told Oregon Lottery officials. “I went to the clerk and had her check it. She told me she couldn’t pay more than $500, so I figured it was $501.”

Checking the winning numbers himself with a printout of the numbers he chose, Nelson was a bit more than surprised.

“I nearly fainted,” he said. “It didn’t really sink in until I got the check … I’m still a little rattled.”

After 18 years as a millwright, Nelson had planned to spend more time with his grandchildren after his official retirement on July 5. Now, he said he'll use the lottery winnings to make that time extra special.

For selling the winning ticket, the 1AM Market will receive a bonus from the Oregon Lottery totaling $13,000 — 1 percent of the prize Nelson will take home over the next 25 years.

For more information on the Oregon Lottery or its games, visit OregonLottery.org

Image via Oregon Lottery