Bainbridge Island woman wins $2.6 million in the July 2nd Washington Lotto drawing
Two months after her husband, Stu, passed away, Ginny Stevenson swears he helped her find the original set of house keys that had been lost in the confusion of his last days.
She awoke bolt upright in bed one morning and said, "The keys are in the little side pocket of the purse in the bottom drawer of the dresser."
Sure enough, they were.
She remembers jokingly wishing to Stu, "Maybe you could do something bigger next time?"
Stu did.
A year later, Bainbridge Island resident Ginny Stevenson hit the Lotto jackpot of $2.6 million in a July 2 drawing, a 1 in nearly 7 million chance.
Ginny bought the ticket one day to cheer herself up; since losing her husband, her dog had died, she faced health problems of her own, and her father suffered a massive heart attack just a few weeks earlier, leaving him comatose.
She went to check the numbers when she heard on TV that there had been a winner in Seattle. She knew she had won by the third matching number.
"There's not one iota of doubt that this is (Stu's) doing. His spirit is so here," Stevenson said. "He was really outgoing and fun-loving, and when he was dying, he was really concerned about me."
Ginny called her siblings in California – she is the eldest of eight and turning 60 in November – who were thrilled for her, and told her father, who was still comatose.
Upon regaining consciousness, her father grabbed the arm of Ginny's brother Chuck Cantwell, rasping out, "Ginny, loan!" and has since started to recover.
Ginny chose to take the lottery payment in one lump sum of half the prize, less 25 percent federal withholding, for a check of $975,000.
After buying gifts for her close family, paying off the mortgage on her home and buying a "zippy" car, she looks forward to eventually retiring with her future secure.
She immediately dropped to part time at her job as recycling program coordinator for the City of Seattle, and said she looks forward to being able to enjoy trips with her retired girlfriends and visit her family, most of whom live in California.
"It has certainly brought me out of the doldrums," she said.
The only previous Bainbridge Island winner was Eugene M. Kaponpon, who won $5 million in an Aug. 6, 1988 drawing.
According to Washington Lottery officials, 65 percent of winners in the last two years chose the lump sum payment over 25-year installments.
Ginny called her siblings in California – she is the eldest of eight and turning 60 in November – who were thrilled for her, and told her father, who was still comatose.
Upon regaining consciousness, her father grabbed the arm of Ginny's brother Chuck Cantwell, rasping out, "Ginny, loan!" and has since started to recover.
ok...first...this comment is ment to be funny...
More evidence to show that when one wins big...family comes out of the woodwork, or in her case...back from the dead to ask for their slice
You got that right Sir- I would be afraid to be her if she won the next MM JP.. Who knows.... maybe ALL of her passed-on friends will come out next time!
WA Lotto apparently does NOT use interest rates to determine the cash value (MM does).
"The only previous Bainbridge Island winner was Eugene M. Kaponpon, who won $5 million in an Aug. 6, 1988 drawing."
That's not necessarily true. There was the boy with the congenital heart defect that split a $9.5m jackpot back in '85. The ticket was purchased in Seattle, but the boy lived on Bainbridge. Ginny's ticket was also purchased in Seattle, but she's considered a Bainbridge winner. I believe this statement is incorrect.
If she could afford a house on bainbridge then she's already doing ok. I wouldn't even qualify for a woodshed on bainbridge or even near Seattle.
stu talk to me. i need some money too.
Having read all the "blogs" I am sitting here in the Library, laughing to myself so hard that tears are rolling down my cheaks.......you all are toooooo funny, especially dvdiva, starchild_45 and SirMetro...............But, come on, lets be fair, whatelse is "family for" whatelse can you expect????
$2.6 dollars??????? The "Comatose" Democratic Party would come back to life for that kind of money, and I should know because I'm a "Demo"
Ginny called her siblings in California – she is the eldest of eight and turning 60 in November – who were thrilled for her, and told her father, who was still comatose.
Upon regaining consciousness, her father grabbed the arm of Ginny's brother Chuck Cantwell, rasping out, "Ginny, loan!" and has since started to recover.
ok...first...this comment is ment to be funny...
More evidence to show that when one wins big...family comes out of the woodwork, or in her case...back from the dead to ask for their slice
SirMetro
That gave me a good laugh, imagine "Money Vimpires" The living dead, thirsty for money.
They say that money is evil, but if it can bring you back from the dead, maybe is not so evil after all ?
i've always thought money was never evil UNLESS you let it be.....
She immediately dropped to part time at her job as recycling program coordinator for the City of Seattle, and said she looks forward to being able to enjoy trips with her retired girlfriends and visit her family, most of whom live in California.
She doesn't sound as though she was living that high before she won. Anyone who considers visiting retired girlfriends in California to be a hot old time probably isn't in danger of much extravagance otherwise.
But the lottery paid off several ways.... created a job opportunity in recycling for some ambitious young lion, gave the retired girlfriends in CA something to look forward to, and got a mortgage paid off on the island and some car dealership sold another piece of aluminum and plastic.
Not bad, considering.
Jack
you got that right....