MAY 15, 2012 — Sharon Strle of Britt says it’s not uncommon for her to misread her Northstar Cash tickets when checking them. So when she noticed that her ticket for the May 11 drawing matched all five winning numbers to win the $56,487 jackpot, she was a bit skeptical.

“I wasn’t sure I was seeing what I was seeing,” she explained. “I’m always making mistakes so I didn’t think I had actually won.”

 It turned out she was right this time. Her single-line quick-pick ticket matched all five winning numbers (5-17-18-25-28) to win the jackpot.

Strle claimed the prize at Lottery headquarters in Roseville on May 14. Short Stop, located at 7466 Highway 53 N in Britt, sold the winning ticket.    

MAY 14, 2012 — A Plymouth resident returned home from a recent bus trip to a casino in northern Minnesota much richer than when she left; however, her big win came before she even reached the casino.

When the bus stopped in Cloquet, Anne Barthel, who says she normally plays lotto tickets, decided “to splurge” on some scratch tickets. One of the tickets she purchased, a Lucky 7s pouch game, turned out to be worth $200,000.

Super One Liquor, located at 707 Highway 33 South in Cloquet, sold the winning ticket.

Barthel claimed the prize on May 11.

MAY 11, 2012 — Fishing opener is still a day away, but that didn’t stop a Cohasset resident to reel in a big Lottery prize.          

Abraham Wolf arrived at Lottery headquarters in Roseville today with a $200,000 winning Muskie Money scratch ticket.

Wolf said he doesn’t play the Lottery often, but the new Fishing scratch games had caught his eye. On May 8, he stopped at Floodwood Little Store, located at 308 – 9^th Ave. in Floodwood, to get some coffee and two Muskie Money scratch tickets. When he heard that he owed more than $20, he was shocked. “I thought they were only $5 tickets,” he explained. “The guy asked if I still wanted them and I thought, ‘Why not?’”

It was a good thing he stuck with his original purchase because one of the tickets was worth $200,000. “I was in disbelief,” he recalled as he scratched off his big win. “I kept looking at the rules of the game to make sure I was playing it right.”

While Wolf hasn’t officially decided on what he plans to do with his winnings, he is certain of one thing — “I am heading on the lakes tomorrow for Opening Day!”

MAY 10, 2012 — Charles Frey of Zumbrota won $13,000 by playing the Lottery’s Northstar Cash game. Frey’s quick-pick ticket was one of two tickets sold that matched the winning numbers drawn on May 2 to share the $26,000 jackpot.

Farm Country Co-op, located at 900 Third Ave. S. in Wanamingo, sold the winning ticket.

MAY 10, 2012 — A Hastings resident won $100,000 by playing the Lottery’s Right on the Money scratch game. James Collins claimed the prize on May 9.

Sterling Gas, located at 1355 S. Frontage Road in Hastings, sold the winning ticket.

MAY 10, 2012 — Cub Foods, located at 15350 Cedar Ave. in Apple Valley, sold a Northstar Cash ticket worth $92,150. Brenda Parlato of Orange, Calif. bought a five-line ticket for the April 30, 2012 Northstar Cash drawing while she was in town visiting family. The fifth set of numbers on the ticket matched the numbers drawn that night (3-13-23-26-29) to win the $92,150 jackpot.

Parlato claimed the prize on May 9.

MAY 8, 2012 —  Coon Rapids residents Cathy Paquette and Valerie Weaver always said, “If we hit, we split.” On May 7 they put their motto into action when they claimed a $100,000 Extremely Lucky Slug scratch game prize.

Weaver said, “It was a weekend full of irony” that led them to their win. “We weren’t planning on going up north for the weekend, but our plans changed,” she explained. On the way up to their cabin on May 4, they stopped at Dave’s Oil Corp., 3045 County Road 43 in Willow River, and bought some scratch tickets. It wasn’t until later that evening when Paquette got around to scratching the tickets that their newfound fortune was revealed. “I just thought, ‘Oh my God, I think we just won $100,000!’” She immediately showed the ticket to Weaver, who was in disbelief as well. “We were pretty silly and giddy over it,” Weaver admitted.

MAY 8, 2012 — Richard Susick of Maple Grove won $13,000 by playing the Lottery’s Northstar Cash game. Susick’s single-line player-pick ticket was one of two tickets sold that matched all five winning numbers (3-9-10-13-16) drawn on May 2 to share the $26,000 jackpot.

Susick’s winning ticket was purchased at Cub Foods, located at 4445 N. Nathan Lane in Plymouth.   

MAY 7, 2012 — David Hoff of Fridley won $50,000 playing Million $$ Match. He bought the winning ticket at 4 Corners Convenience & Gas, 1301 Mississippi St. N.E. in Fridley.

Hoff claimed the prize on May 4.

MAY 7, 2012 — Dennis Boys said he was “in the right place at the right time” the morning of May 4. The Mankato man bought two Extremely Lucky Slug tickets because “it was new and all the winners were left.” Boys bought the tickets at Hy-Vee Food Store, 2010 Adams St. in Mankato, and scratched them while sitting in his car in the store’s parking lot.

As he scratched the first ticket, Boys said the first symbol he uncovered was not a winning one. The second symbol was a money bag — one of two symbols needed to win a prize — with a prize of $100,000. Boys said “it took a while to sink in” that he just won $100,000.

Boys looked up the address and phone number for Lottery headquarters and immediately drove to Roseville to claim the prize.

APRIL 30, 2012 — A Maple Grove Resident won $100,000 by playing the Lottery’s Right on the Money scratch game. Ron Vasko claimed the prize on April 27.

SuperAmerica, located at 9363 Upland Ave. N. in Maple Grove, sold the winning ticket.

APRIL 25, 2012 — John Wiedewitsch’s loyalty to Minnesota’s Northstar Cash game has paid off for a second time. The Backus resident won his second Northstar Cash prize on April 18.  

Wiedewitsch claimed the $34,229 jackpot at the Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville on April 23. He won his first Northstar Cash jackpot — a $38,608 prize — on May 9, 2004.

Wiedewitsch said his recent win came as a surprise. “I had to look at the ticket a couple of times and then I had a friend verify that I had actually won,” he said.

Hofman Oil Company Inc., located at 509 – 19^th Ave. N.  in Princeton, sold the winning ticket.    

APRIL 20, 2012 — Debra Krulikosky of Brownton won $135,065 by playing the Lottery’s Gopher 5 game. Krulikosky’s ticket matched all five numbers drawn on April 13. She claimed the prize at the Lottery’s office in Roseville on April 19.

Murphy USA, located at 1290 Highway 15 S. in Hutchinson, sold the winning ticket.

APRIL 17, 2012 — Kevin Carlson of Cedar was on a winning streak that ended with a $100,000 Minnesota Hold-Em scratch game win.

Carlson said he had been playing the game for about a month because he kept winning.  “I won $105 yesterday, $75 the day before and $90 the day before that.” On April 16 his luck grew even bigger when he scratched off a $100,000 top prize. “I couldn’t believe it,” he recalled. “I was shocked. I had to double check it, triple check it and quadruple check it.”

Carlson arrived at the Lottery headquarters in Roseville later that day to claim the prize.

He purchased his winning ticket at Maple Square Fuel & Wash, located at 13400 Grove Drive in Maple Grove.

APRIL 16, 2012 — Duluth resident Laurie Johnson says her husband has been buying lottery tickets for her because “he wants me to win.” Last week he bought two tickets (Coffee Break Crossword and Sizzlin 7s) on Monday, April 9 and she won $7 on the Sizzlin 7s ticket. He bought two more on Tuesday; she won $10, again on the Sizzlin 7s ticket. “I told him don’t buy crossword anymore because I don’t win,” Johnson said.

Luckily he didn’t take her advice and bought two more tickets on Thursday, including another Coffee Break Crossword ticket. “He gave them to me and I threw them on the counter and we went shopping,” Johnson recalled.

She scratched the tickets when they arrived back home. “I saw seven words and thought, ‘I think I finally have a winner on this game [Coffee Break Crossword].’” Johnson kept scratching and told her family, “ʻI’m one word away from $100,000 — I won $10,000!’ Everybody was watching me as I was counting and double checking. I said, ‘I think I won $100,000! I think I have 10 words!’”

The winning ticket was purchased at Cub Foods, 615 W. Central Entrance in Duluth.

APRIL 16, 2012 — Tam Vo of Maplewood won $33,414 playing Northstar Cash. The fifth line on his five-line quick-pick ticket was one of two tickets to match the winning numbers 9-13-19-21-30 drawn on April 12 to share the $66,828 jackpot. Each ticket won $33,414. 

Vo purchased the winning ticket at Clark on Rice, located at 1440 Rice St. in St. Paul.

APRIL 16, 2012 — Trent Bluhm of Mankato won $33,414 playing Northstar Cash. The second line on his 10-line quick-pick ticket was one of two tickets to match the winning numbers 9-13-19-21-30 drawn on April 12 to share the $66,828 jackpot. Each ticket won $33,414.

Mankato Quick Mart, located at 402 N. Second St. in Mankato, sold Bluhm’s winning ticket.

APRIL 12, 2012 — Jason Oie of Brooklyn Center claimed a $100,000 Funky 5s scratch game prize on April 11.

Neighbor Stop, located at 10635 Quince St. N.W. in Coon Rapids, sold the winning ticket.

APRIL 10, 2012 — A Hayfield resident won $1 million by playing the Lottery’s Million $$ Match scratch game. Rodney Hegna went to Casey’s General Store, located at 720 – 2^nd St. N.W. in Hayfield, last night to buy gasoline for his wife’s car and decided to also purchase a Million $$ Match scratch ticket.

“I filled up and scratched the ticket. I didn’t have my glasses on and I thought that I won something, but then I saw $1 million,” said Hegna. “I thought, ‘That’s not possible.’ Then I saw $70 above the $1 million and thought that maybe that’s what I won,” Hegna recalled.

He took the ticket home, put on his glasses and confirmed that it was a $1 million prize. Hegna then took the ticket to his wife, Jen, for a second opinion.

“He asked, ‘Are you sitting down?’ as I was sitting on the couch,” Jen laughed and added, “I said, ‘Hello?’ I’m not standing up.”

Rodney said that he didn’t sleep well after scratching the ticket and “I was afraid to even put the ticket down.” He claimed the prize at the Lottery’s Roseville office this morning.

APRIL 6, 2012 — Glen Wendt of Roseville won $27,000 by playing the Lottery’s Northstar Cash game. Wendt’s quick-pick ticket matched the winning numbers drawn on April 2 to win the jackpot.

SuperAmerica, located at 756 N. Snelling in St. Paul, sold the winning ticket.

APRIL 5, 2012 —April 5 was an especially memorable day for Gary and Sherry Villiard of Lake Park. Not only was it Gary’s birthday, but the real icing on the cake was a $1,074,739 Gopher 5 jackpot win!

The couple’s whirlwind began yesterday afternoon while Sherry was running errands in Detroit Lakes. She decided to stop at Holiday, located at 233 E. Frazee St., to pick up $10 in Gopher 5 tickets for that night’s drawing. On her way home she debated whether or not to get $5 more in tickets since the jackpot was so high, but decided against it. “I thought, ‘If I’m meant to win — a $10 ticket is going to do it!’”

Sure enough, it did. After checking her tickets later that evening, she discovered that the third line matched the winning numbers of 9-17-19-40-46 to win the $1,074,739 jackpot! “I was shaking by the third number,” she recalled. When the last two numbers matched, “that’s when I started screaming.” Sherry immediately ran outside to tell Gary the good news.

After a sleepless night, the Villiards decided to start their trip to Roseville early Thursday morning. “I can’t stop shaking,” Sherry said as they arrived to claim their prize. “This all seems so unreal.” Gary felt the same way, saying, “It’s just something you never expect to happen. It’s certainly a birthday that we’ll never forget.”

APRIL 3, 2012 — Russicha Deloach of New Hope was one of four lucky Minnesota players who won a $250,000 prize in Friday’s record $640 million Mega Millions drawing.

The first-time Mega Millions player decided to buy some tickets after having a dream about winning the lottery. “I dreamed that I was cashing in a winning ticket that I won at a corner store so I decided to play,” said Deloach.

The following day her dream became reality after she discovered her ticket was worth $250,000. “I didn’t know how to react to it,” she explained. “I was in shock.”

Deloach arrived at the Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville on April 2 to claim the prize.

She purchased her winning ticket at Brookdale Holiday, located at 5710 Xerxes Ave. N. in Brooklyn Center.  

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APRIL 3, 2012 — Julie Ryan and Bob Jerde, both of St. Paul, shared a $250,000 Mega Millions prize from the drawing on March 30. The second line on their three-line quick-pick ticket matched the first five numbers drawn that night to win the $250,000 prize.

The winning ticket was purchased at Holiday, 600 Snelling Ave. N. in St. Paul.

APRIL 3, 2012 — Brett Nienaber of Pequot Lakes claimed a $250,000 Mega Millions prize from the drawing on March 30. The first line on Nienaber’s five-line quick-pick ticket matched the first five numbers drawn that night to win the $250,000 prize.

Nienaber purchased the winning ticket at Holiday, located at 7472 Excelsior Road in Baxter.

APRIL 3, 2012 — Olin Synstelien of Moorhead won the $28,000 Northstar Cash jackpot on March 30. Synstelien purchased the winning ticket at Stop N Go, 1702 – 30^th Ave. S. in Moorhead.

APRIL 2, 2012 — Allen Johnson of Rosemount won $250,000 by playing the Lottery’s Fat Wallet scratch game.

Holiday, located at 15066 Chippendale Ave. W. in Rosemount, sold the winning ticket.

APRIL 2, 2012 — John Dumas of St. Paul claimed an $88,888 Extreme 8s scratch game prize today.

He purchased his winning ticket at Cub Foods, located at 1440 University Ave. W. in St. Paul.

APRIL 2, 2012 — Robert Goering of Eagan won a $69,637 Northstar Cash jackpot.

Goering’s single-line quick-pick ticket matched all five winning numbers drawn on March 26 (1-7-16-20-22) to win the prize.  

He purchased the winning ticket at PDQ, located at 4198 Pilot Knob Road in Eagan.   

MARCH 23, 2012 — Three members of a North Mankato family have stepped forward to claim the $2.99 million Hot Lotto jackpot from the March 14, 2012 drawing. Thomas H. Browne, his son Lee Browne and his daughter Elaine Pleiss presented the winning ticket at Lottery headquarters in Roseville yesterday afternoon.

Thomas said he heard an announcement on the radio that the winning Hot Lotto jackpot ticket for March 14 was sold in Nicollet County. He checked his quick-pick ticket and discovered it matched the winning numbers of 1-6-13-25-27 and the Hot Ball of 15 to win the $2.99 million jackpot. “Don’t ask me how many times I checked it!” Thomas said of the winning ticket.

Lee heard the same radio broadcast and thought, “I wonder if it’s Dad.” He learned later that his father did indeed win the jackpot when Thomas stood in Lee’s garage and asked him, “Is your truck paid off?” Lee said he had a couple of years left when his dad told him about the jackpot win.

Elaine learned of her father’s win on the telephone. She said her reaction to the news was, “‘No way!’ He said, ‘No, really I did!’ I went to the living room and told my boyfriend, ‘Dad won the Lottery!’”

The cash option is $2.21 million before tax withholding.

PJ’s Liquor, 407 Belgrade Ave. in North Mankato, sold the winning ticket and will receive a $10,000 bonus.

MARCH 23, 2012 — Mavis Roberts of Ellendale won a $100,000 prize by playing the Lottery’s Gopher the Big Money scratch game.

Roberts claimed the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville on March 21. She purchased her winning ticket at Hy-Vee Food Stores, 2708 Bridge Ave. in Albert Lea.

MARCH 21, 2012 — Daniel McGillicuddy of Grand Forks, N.D. won the $26,000 Northstar Cash jackpot on March 15. McGillicuddy purchased the winning ticket at Blue Moose Bar & Grill, 507 – 2^nd St. N.W. in East Grand Forks.

MARCH 16, 2012 — The first line of the three-line ticket Lloyd Jedlicki of Rice purchased for the March 13 Northstar Cash drawing won that night’s $28,000 jackpot! He claimed the prize on March 15.

Jedlicki purchased the winning ticket at Pines Edge Grocery, 1490 – 110^th St. N.W. in Rice.

MARCH 16, 2012 — A last minute change resulted in a $200,000 Lottery win for an Anoka resident.

Patrice McGarvey had her eye on a couple of scratch tickets while she was waiting in line at West Main SuperAmerica in Anoka on March 14.  However, the customer in front of her bought the tickets she was going to buy so she decided to try her luck on a $200,000 Lucky Diamonds scratch ticket. “I’m sure glad I did,” McGarvey said. After playing the ticket, she uncovered a $200,000 top prize!

“I had to check it at least 10 times,” she recalled. “It was incredible!” McGarvey claimed the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville on March 15.

West Main SuperAmerica is located at 750 W. Main St. in Anoka.

MARCH 16, 2012 — Karen Ling of Brooklyn Park won $50,000 by playing the Lottery’s Million $$ Match scratch game. She claimed the prize at the Lottery’s office in Roseville on March 15.

SuperAmerica, located at 5000 Central Ave. N.E. in Columbia Heights, sold the winning ticket.

MARCH 14, 2012 — John Center of Savage won $40,000 by playing Powerball. His ticket matched four numbers plus the Powerball drawn on March 10. Because Center added the Power Play option when he purchased the ticket, the prize increased from $10,000 to $40,000. He claimed the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville on March. 12.

Kwik Trip, located at 13357 Palomino Drive in Apple Valley, sold the winning ticket.

MARCH 14, 2012 — Brandon Laho of Buffalo won $141,843 by playing the Lottery’s Gopher 5 game. Laho’s quick-pick ticket matched all five numbers drawn on Feb. 20. Laho claimed the prize at the Lottery’s office in Roseville on March 13.

Laho won a 10-draw Gopher 5 lotto ticket by playing the Gopher the Maximum Money scratch game. When he uncovered “G5 10 draws” on the scratch ticket, he was not sure what it meant since he had never played the Gopher 5 lotto game before.

Holiday, located at 7510 Highway 55 in Greenfield, printed the winning ticket.

MARCH 13, 2012 — Gary Lilya of Dodge Center won a $23,963 Northstar Cash prize. His quick-pick ticket was one of two tickets to match the winning numbers of 4-6-11-23-28 drawn on March 8 to share the $47,926 jackpot. Each ticket won $23,963.  

Lilya purchased the winning ticket at Byron Market Place, 863 High Point Drive N.E. in Byron.

MARCH 13, 2012 — The quick-pick ticket Caroline Soyring of Gilbert purchased for the March 9 Northstar Cash drawing won that night’s $25,000 jackpot! She claimed the prize on March 12.

Soyring purchased the winning ticket at Holiday, located at Highway 135 & Summit St. in Gilbert.

MARCH 13, 2012 — Emil Gulbrandson of Apple Valley and Alpha Kreidler of Burnsville shared a $23,963 Northstar Cash prize. The second line on their two-line quick-pick ticket was one of two tickets to match the winning numbers of 4-6-11-23-28 drawn on March 8 to share the $47,926 jackpot. Each ticket won $23,963.  

The winning ticket was purchased at Burnsville Auto Repair, 12001 County Road 11 in Burnsville.

MARCH 8, 2012 — Since diamonds are known to be a girl’s best friend, White Bear Lake resident Deborah Lindorfer thought she’d try the Lottery’s $200,000 Lucky Diamonds scratch game. The ticket turned out to be quite a gem for Lindorfer after she discovered a $50,000 win.

“I kept screaming, ‘We won $50,000!’” she recalled. However, her husband, Richard, was a bit skeptical at first. He said, “I thought she was playing a joke on me,” which she has been known to do. “I thought, ‘This is not real.’”

The couple arrived the following morning (March 7) to claim the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville. Lindorfer purchased her winning ticket at SuperAmerica, 1447 Highway 96 in White Bear Lake.

MARCH 7, 2012 — Stacy Antilla of Lake Elmo won a 2012 Ford Explorer on a Minnesota Millionaire Raffle ticket. She claimed the prize on March 6.

The winning ticket — ticket number 252851 — was purchased at Kwik Trip, 3550 Settlers Way in Stillwater. 

The Minnesota State Lottery and Northland Ford Dealers Association provided the 2012 Ford Explorer.

MARCH 5, 2012 — Frank Pozniak of New Brighton won $250,000 by playing the Lottery’s Fat Wallet scratch game. He claimed the prize at the Lottery’s office in Roseville on March 5.

Pozniak said that his wife, Jeaneen, had suggested that he go to a nearby store to purchase a couple of Powerball tickets on Saturday, March 3. While he was at the store, he decided to trade a $10 winning scratch ticket for a Fat Wallet scratch ticket. “I took the ticket home and my wife rolled her eyes, because she’s not a big believer in scratch tickets,” he said. “I’m a believer now!” she said.

“Before I scratched it, I said, ‘I’ve got to rub it on [his son] for luck, and I rubbed it on his head.” Pozniak laughed and added, “She probably rolled her eyes at that, too.”

When he uncovered the $250,000 win, he was shocked. “I stood up and I walked into the kitchen (because the light is better in there) and my wife asked, ‘Are you all right?’ After I looked at it a few times, I said, ‘You better come in here and take a look at this. I think I just won $250,000.’”

PDQ, located at 950 W. County Road D in New Brighton, sold the winning ticket.

MARCH 5, 2012 — Saturday’s Powerball drawing produced its first $2 million winner in Minnesota!

Arriving at the Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville first thing this morning, Robert Wahlquist of Oak Grove wasted no time claiming his $2 million Powerball with Power Play prize.

The second-line on Wahlquist’s two-line quick-pick ticket matched the first five winning numbers drawn on March 3, which is normally worth $1 million. But because he added Power Play to his ticket for an extra $1, his prize doubled to $2 million.

Wahlquist bought his winning ticket at County Market, 23122 St. Francis Blvd. in St. Francis.

The winning Powerball numbers for March 3 were 29-30-45-47-49 and the Powerball was 35.

MARCH 2, 2012 — Randy Pierce of Fairmont won $28,000 playing Northstar Cash. The numbers he selected matched the winning numbers drawn on Feb. 29, 2012 to win the $28,000 jackpot.

The winning ticket was purchased at Freedom Valu Center, 407 E. Blue Earth Ave. in Fairmont.

MARCH 2, 2012 — On Feb. 28 Chisholm resident Randi Schmelzer was on her way to her school clinicals when she made a stop at Hibbing Spur, 3701 E. 1^st Ave. in Hibbing. While in the store she purchased a $200,000 Lucky Diamonds scratch ticket.

“I went out to my car and scratched the ticket,” Schmelzer recalled. “I always scratch the numbers, match the numbers and then scratch off the prizes. I knew I matched one number. When I went back and saw it was $200,000, I had to check seven more times! I called my husband and said, ‘Guess how much I won?’ He said $5,000. I said, ‘No — $200,000!’”

The couple drove to Lottery headquarters in Roseville on March 1 to claim the prize. 

MARCH 2, 2012 — “I thought I was seeing things,” said Kimberly Schultz of North Branch as she recalled uncovering a $100,000 win when playing a Funky 5s scratch ticket. “I kept counting the zeros to make sure it was right,” she added. “People kept saying, ‘You’re so calm!’ I told them that it probably wouldn’t sink in until I get the check.”

North Branch County Market, located at 5418 St. Croix Trail in North Branch, sold the winning ticket.

FEBRUARY 29, 2012 — Tom and Lynda Mohs of Mendota Heights claimed a $67,385 Northstar Cash jackpot on Feb. 27.

The third-line of their five-line quick-pick ticket matched all five winning numbers drawn on Feb. 25 (3-4-16-26-31) to win the jackpot.

Holiday, located at 965 Sibley Memorial Highway in Lilydale, sold the winning ticket.

FEBRUARY 23, 2012 — White Bear Lake resident David Gonia won a $100,000 prize by playing the Lottery’s $100,000 Minnesota Hold-Em scratch game.

Gonia purchased his winning ticket at Holiday, located at 9444 Lake Drive N.E, in Forest Lake.

FEBRUARY 22, 2012 — Cindy Holman of Duluth won $100,000 by playing the $100,000 Taxes Paid scratch game. The prize includes required state and federal tax withholding, so she received a check for $100,000.

Proctor Milkhouse, located at 304 Third Ave. in Proctor, sold Holman’s winning ticket.

FEBRUARY 21, 2012 — David Kirven of Duluth won $44,089 by playing the Lottery’s Northstar Cash game. His single-line quick-pick ticket matched all five numbers drawn on Feb. 15 to win the jackpot.

Spirit Valley Little Store, located at 231 N. Central Ave. in Duluth sold Kirven’s winning ticket.

FEBRUARY 21, 2012 — Robert Barry of Ironton claimed a $200,000 Powerball prize on Feb. 17.

The second-line of Barry’s five-line quick-pick ticket matched the first five numbers drawn on Jan. 11. The winning numbers drawn on Jan. 11 were 5-19-29-45-47 and the Powerball number was 25.

He purchased the winning ticket at Kwik Trip, located at 2270 – 46^th St. N.W., in Owatonna.

FEBRUARY 15, 2012 — A Sauk Centre resident won a $52,679 jackpot by playing the Lottery’s Progressive Print-N-Play lotto game. He claimed the prize on Feb. 14.

Robert “Gerb” Bruce purchased a $3 Crossword Progressive Print-N-Play ticket at Next Door Bar & Lounge, “The best bar in town!” according to Bruce, on Feb. 13. “I played it and I was getting a whole lot of words. I figured it was maybe a $100 winner,” he recalled. After he found 11 words, “I thought that maybe I made a mistake,” he said.

He asked for the ticket to be run though the Lottery machine. “It came up that they couldn’t pay it [because the prize was too big] and that I had to go to the Lottery office. I always wanted to see it come up on the machine that they couldn’t pay me!”

Next Door Bar & Lounge is located at 517 Sinclair Lewis Ave. in Sauk Centre.

FEBRUARY 14, 2012 — Brett Marlin of St. Paul won $500,000 on a $500,000 Gold Bar Bonanza ticket he purchased at Super Day, 281 Snelling Ave. N. in St. Paul. He claimed the prize on Feb. 13.

FEBRUARY 14, 2012 — A retired disabled veteran from Wells is Minnesota’s newest million dollar winner. Benjamin Ramos Sr. claimed a $1,285,013 Gopher 5 jackpot at the Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville on Feb. 13.  

Ramos says he normally doesn’t play the Gopher 5 game, but decided to buy a ticket after getting a call from his ex-wife that the jackpot was getting big. That turned out to be very good advice — a single-line quick-pick ticket he purchased for the Feb. 10 drawing matched all five winning numbers (3-4-17-29-34) to win the $1,285,013 jackpot!

“I guess Lady Luck was giving me a break,” Ramos said as he claimed his prize. “I think she was tired of seeing me lose,” he said with a smile.  

Ramos purchased the winning ticket at Casey’s General Store, located at 31 – 2^nd Ave. N.W. in Wells.

FEBRUARY 13, 2012 — Keith Gustafson of White Bear Lake won $1 million by playing Powerball. The fourth line of Gustafson’s five-line quick-pick ticket matched the first five numbers drawn on Feb. 11.

Festival Foods, located at 2671 East County Road E in White Bear Lake, sold the winning ticket.

FEBRUARY 13, 2012 — Samantha Jensen of St. Paul and John Windingstad of Shoreview were on a lucky streak that ended with a $50,000 lottery win.

On Feb. 9 the couple purchased four $5 Funky 5s scratch tickets and won $100. They decided to redeem $20 of their winnings for a Win for Life game book and their luck got even bigger — Jensen scratched off a $50,000 win. “I was speechless,” she recalled. Windingstad, who was driving at the time, had to pull the car over to look at the ticket. “I almost had an anxiety attack,” he said.

The couple claimed the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville on Feb. 10. They purchased the winning ticket at Gas Plus, located at 525 Lafayette Road in St. Paul.

FEBRUARY 10, 2012 — Marshall McKenzie of Rosemount won $28,000 playing Northstar Cash. The numbers on his quick-pick ticket matched the winning numbers of 7-15-16-19-27 drawn on Feb. 7, 2012 to win the $28,000 jackpot.

The winning ticket was purchased at Kwik Trip, 14810 S. Robert Trail in Rosemount.

FEBRUARY 8, 2012 — Sandra Rasmus of Bemidji won $40,000 by playing Powerball. Her ticket matched four numbers plus the Powerball drawn on Jan. 25. Because Rasmus added the Power Play option when she purchased the ticket, the prize increased from $10,000 to $40,000. She claimed the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville on Feb. 7.

Marketplace Food and Drug, located at 2000 Paul Bunyan Dr. N.W. in Bemidji, sold the winning ticket.

FEBRUARY 7, 2012 — Jennifer Rumble of Rosemount won $28,000 by playing the Lottery’s Northstar Cash game. The second line on Rumble’s three-line quick-pick ticket matched the winning numbers drawn on Feb. 3 to win the jackpot.

Holiday, located at 7287 – 161^st St. W. in Rosemount, sold the winning ticket.

FEBRUARY 7, 2012 — Linda Monsrud-Curry of Rochester won $300,000 on a Hot Hands game book ticket she purchased at Mills Gas Mart, 4835 Maine Ave. S.E. in Rochester on Feb. 4. She claimed the prize at Lottery headquarters in Roseville on Feb. 6.

FEBRUARY 3, 2012 — While Little Falls resident Josh Groshong was waiting for the pizza he ordered at Casey’s General Store, 1205 Haven Road in Little Falls on Jan. 31, he decided to buy a couple of scratch tickets. He took a penny from the “Take a Penny” tray at the counter and scratched the $200,000 Lucky Diamonds ticket.

 “I saw that I matched a number, then I saw that I won, then I saw what it was — $50,000!” Groshong exclaimed. “I asked [the clerk], ‘Is this real?’” The clerk scanned the ticket and got the message that the prize needed to be claimed at the Lottery.

“I didn’t eat the pizza when I got home — I was too excited!” Groshong said. He claimed the prize at Lottery headquarters in Roseville on Feb. 1. 

FEBRUARY 2, 2012 — Norman Petri of North Oaks won $100,000 on a Coffee Break Crossword scratch ticket he purchased at North Oaks Holiday, 4540 Centerville Road in White Bear Lake. Petri claimed the prize on Feb. 1.

JANUARY 31, 2012 — Bradley Monitor of Minnetonka won $100,000 by playing the Lottery’s Shake Rattle & Roll^™ scratch game.

Monitor claimed the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville on Jan. 30. He purchased the winning ticket at Holiday Stationstore, located at 7180 – 42^nd Ave. N. in New Hope. 

JANUARY 31, 2012 — Margot Trowbridge of Rochester won $27,000 by playing the Lottery’s Northstar Cash game.

The third line of Trowbridge’s 10 line quick-pick ticket matched all five winning numbers drawn on Jan. 30 (3-7-11-13-25) to win the jackpot.

Carroll’s Corn, located at 20 – 2^nd Ave. S.W. in Rochester, sold the winning ticket.

JANUARY 30, 2012 — Robert Greenwell of Eagan won $27,000 by playing the Lottery’s Northstar Cash game. The fourth line of his five-line quick-pick ticket matched the winning numbers drawn on Jan. 27 to win the jackpot.

Cedar Cliff BP, located at 4600 Slater Road in Eagan, sold the winning ticket.

JANUARY 30, 2012 — Helmou Yianick of Barron, Wis. won $250,000 by playing Mega Millions. The third line of his five-line quick-pick ticket matched the first five numbers drawn on Jan. 27.

Holiday, located at 7525 Brooklyn Blvd. in Brooklyn Park, sold the winning ticket.

JANUARY 27, 2012 — Owatonna residents Judith Peterson and Jeffrey Hellman are proof that it only takes one ticket to win. The co-workers pooled their money to purchase a $10 Minnesota Millionaire Raffle ticket and ended up winning one of the $1 million top prizes.

“It’s all it takes,” Hellman said when he and Peterson claimed the prize at Lottery headquarters in Roseville on Jan. 27. Peterson agreed, saying, “I guess we just got the right number!” Peterson said that she is, “happy to share this experience with Jeff and his family.”

The winning ticket — ticket number 300691 — was purchased at Owatonna Fuel & Food, 401 N. Cedar Ave. in Owatonna.    

JANUARY 27, 2012 — Mike Blackwell of St. Paul won $46,191 by playing the Lottery’s Northstar Cash game.  One of Blackwell’s quick-pick tickets from the Jan. 24 drawing matched all five winning numbers to win the jackpot.

Blackwell purchased the ticket at Cub Foods, located at 2197 Hudson Road in St. Paul.

The winning Northstar Cash numbers drawn on Jan. 24 were 2-6-26-27-29.

JANUARY 27, 2012 — Brian Olson of Princeton won $30,000 by playing the Lottery’s Northstar Cash game. His quick-pick ticket matched the winning numbers drawn on Jan. 1 to win the jackpot.

Coborn’s, located at 7900 Sunwood Drive N.W. in Ramsey, sold the winning ticket.

JANUARY 25, 2012 — Kenneth Forner of St. Paul won $25,000 by playing the Lottery’s Northstar Cash game. His quick-pick ticket matched the winning numbers drawn on Jan. 15 to win the jackpot.

Holiday, located at 1444 E. Minnehaha in St. Paul, sold the winning ticket.

JANUARY 20, 2012 — “It was a good day!” said Zach Lee of Montevideo as he talked about winning a $100,000 scratch game prize.

Lee purchased a Funky 5s scratch ticket at Dooley’s Handistop, located at 631 N. 6^th St. in Montevideo and won $5. “I traded that in for another and I was standing right at the counter when I scratched it. I saw a lot of zeros when I was scratching it off,” he recalled. When he saw that he had won $100,000, “I did a double take, looked a couple of times, jumped up and down, ran out the door and called my wife!”

JANUARY 19, 2012 — A group of four friends from Montevideo won $200,000 by playing the Lottery’s Triple 777 scratch game.

Shawn Ostenson, Todd Ostenson, Scott Berglund and James Backer claimed the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville on Jan. 18.

The winning ticket was purchased at Food-N-Fuel, located at 632 N. 7^th St. in Montevideo.

JANUARY 19, 2012 — Todd Mouw of Burnsville claimed a $43,500 Northstar Cash prize on Jan. 17.

Mouw’s ticket was one of two tickets sold for the Jan. 14 drawing that matched all five winning numbers drawn (9-10-15-21-23) to split the $85,000 jackpot.

He purchased the winning ticket at Gateway Stop N Go, located at 451 West Burnsville Parkway in Burnsville.

JANUARY 18, 2012 — “You always hope, but you never expect to win,” said Sandy Conrad as her husband, Don Conrad of Grand Rapids, claimed a Hot Lotto jackpot worth $2.61 million.

“I always buy a ticket,” said Sandy. “I didn’t think much about it. When I went to work on Monday, somebody said, ‘Someone in Itasca County won Hot Lotto!’ I had to work late and when I got home, Don said, ‘Get on the computer [to check the winning numbers.]’ I printed off the numbers and checked.” She saw that all six numbers on the first line of her five-line quick-pick ticket matched the winning numbers and told Don.

“I jumped up and ran out there and looked. I just couldn’t believe it,” he said.

Don is retired, but Sandy had to go to work at the Grand Rapids Herald-Review newspaper the next morning to ask for a day off to claim the prize.

River Road Market, located at 302 – 7^th Ave. S.E. in Grand Rapids, sold the winning ticket and will receive a $10,000 bonus.

The cash option is worth $1.98 million before required tax withholding.

JANUARY 13, 2012 — Congratulations to Dyllan Blitvich of St. Cloud on winning $100,000 by playing the $100,000 Taxes Paid scratch game.

The Lottery is paying approximately $47,600 in withholding taxes on Blitvich’s prize. “This was so random,” Blitvich recalled when he claimed the prize at Lottery headquarters in Roseville on Jan. 11. He admitted that his big win “took a while to sink in.”

Blitvich purchased the winning ticket at Sammy’s Pizza Inc., 58 W. Division, in Waite Park on Jan. 10.

JANUARY 13, 2012 — Ray Tedford of Lino Lakes won a 2012 Ford Mustang on a Minnesota Millionaire Raffle ticket. 

“I never win anything,” Tedford said. “I was surprised. I thought it was pretty unreal.” The winning ticket — ticket number 205443 — was purchased at Gas Plus, 7033 Jorgensen Lane S. in Cottage Grove.  

The Minnesota State Lottery and Northland Ford Dealers Association provided the 2012 Ford Mustang.  

JANUARY 12, 2012 — Jenean Rudnitski said her sister and brother-in-law gave each of their immediate family members a Raffle ticket as a gift for the holiday season. On Jan. 2, the St. Cloud woman said she checked her ticket and was stunned to see that it was one of five ticket numbers to win $100,000.

“I called my sister [to tell her she won],” Rudnitski explained. “I screamed and I was crying. She said, ‘You did not!’ I said, ‘Yes I did!’ I texted it to her. She didn’t believe me and called my mom and said I was a good actress!”

Rudnitski claimed the prize at Lottery headquarters in Roseville on Jan. 10. The winning ticket was purchased at Holiday, 405 Central Ave. S. in Milaca.

JANUARY 12, 2012 — Moorhead resident Albert Santoya bought some gas and a Gopher the Big Money lottery ticket on Jan. 6 from Stop N Go, 1702 – 30^th Ave. S. in Moorhead. “The clerk told me, ‘Good luck!’” Santoya recalled.

He sat in his car and started scratching the ticket. “The fourth number matched,” Santoya said. “As I scratched [the prize amount] I thought, “Oh gosh!’” The prize was $100,000.

JANUARY 12, 2012 — Brad Engel of Howard Lake won $40,334 by playing the Lottery’s Northstar Cash game. His quick-pick ticket matched the winning numbers drawn on Dec. 11 to win the jackpot.

Casey’s General Store, located at 150 Cokato St. E. in Cokato, sold the winning ticket.

JANUARY 11, 2012 — Karin Dreyer of Brooklyn Park won $100,000 by playing the Lottery’s Minnesota Millionaire Raffle game.

Dreyer, who is a fan of the Raffle game, says she normally checks her tickets right away after the New Year’s Day drawing each year, but this year it took a little longer than normal. When she finally checked her ticket a couple of days after the drawing, Dreyer’s first thought was, “This can’t be true,” she recalled. “I got really nervous — I kept looking at it several times. Then I was jumping up and down and my dog thought something was wrong with me!”

Dreyer claimed the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters on Jan. 9. She purchased the winning ticket at Bill’s Superette, 3100 N. Brookdale Drive in Brooklyn Park.

JANUARY 11, 2012 — This was the fourth year that Mike Snyder of Wadena played the Lottery’s Minnesota Millionaire Raffle game. Usually he purchases one ticket; this year he decided to purchase two tickets. That was a very lucky decision because the second ticket ended up being worth $1 million.

“I always buy a ticket because I figure my chance is as good as anybody else’s,” said Snyder. “I never dreamed of winning $1 million. I thought if I won one of those smaller prizes, that would be great.”

Holiday, located at 101 Jefferson St. N. in Wadena, sold the winning ticket. Holiday Companies received a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

JANUARY 6, 2012 — Timothy French of East Grand Forks won a 2012 Ford Edge on a Minnesota Millionaire Raffle ticket. The winning ticket — ticket number 417962 — was purchased at Holiday, 5310 Highway 29 S. in Alexandria.  

The Minnesota State Lottery and Northland Ford Dealers Association provided the 2012 Ford Edge.  

JANUARY 6, 2012 — James Putnam of Duluth purchased a quick-pick ticket for the Dec. 26, 2011 Gopher 5 drawing. That ticket was the only winner of the $1,242,385 jackpot for that night’s drawing. Putnam claimed the prize at Lottery headquarters in Roseville on Jan. 5, 2012.

Putnam bought the winning ticket at Miller Hill Super One Foods, located at 5401 Burning Tree Road in Duluth. The store will receive a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. This same store sold a Hot Lotto^® jackpot ticket worth $3.62 million for the drawing on Feb. 28, 2009.

“We are absolutely delighted that we sold another big jackpot-winning ticket,” said Jim Miner, Jr., President of Miner’s Inc., the owner of Super One Foods. “The $10,000 retailer bonus we earned in February 2009 was donated to Second Harvest Food Bank. We will also donate the $5,000 from the sale of the Gopher 5 jackpot to Second Harvest.”

Miller Hill Super One Foods store manager Bob Shaw said, “Mr. Putnam is a regular customer at the store and a very nice person. He’s got a big heart, a very big heart. We’re all very happy for him.”

JANUARY 6, 2012 — Trina Cooper of Inver Grove Heights won $100,000 by playing the Lottery’s Minnesota Millionaire Raffle game.

Cooper said she told people that she would win a Raffle prize. “I always say, ‘When I win the lottery on …’ and this time I did!” she said. “I told people that I would be winning one of the trip prizes. This is better!” Her husband, Doug Cooper added, “It’s a nice way to start the new year.”

M & H Gas, located at 721 Arcade St. in St. Paul, sold the winning ticket.

JANUARY 5, 2012 —The New Year is off to a great start for Jim Schellberg of Rosemount after winning a $100,000 Minnesota Millionaire Raffle prize.

Schellberg confessed that he “had to look at the ticket quite a few times before it sunk in.” His wife, Krislyn, agreed that the win is “hard to fathom.”

Schellberg’s ticket matched the winning number 455587 drawn on Jan. 1, 2012 to win the $100,000 prize.

The couple claimed the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters on Jan. 3. Holiday, located at 4595 Nicols Road in Eagan, sold the winning ticket.

JANUARY 5, 2012 — Robert Waltenburg of Duluth claimed a $100,000 Wheel of Fortune_® scratch game prize on Jan. 4.

Waltenburg purchased the winning ticket at Holiday, located at 2432 London Road in Duluth.

JANUARY 3, 2012 — Phylis Thompson of Minneapolis won $39,308 by playing the Lottery’s Northstar Cash game.

The second line on Thompson’s two-line quick-pick ticket matched all five winning numbers drawn on Dec. 26 (2-4-7-10-14) to win the jackpot.

Thompson claimed the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters on Dec. 30.