Joan Patterson of Desboro has picked up her $60-million cheque for winning the jackpot in the February 5 Lottomax draw.
Patterson bought a ticket at Grant's Your Independent Grocer in Hanover, and then went away on horseback riding holiday to Arizona with her husband Jim.
She checked the ticket 12 days later at Heritage Place Mall in Owen Sound, and asked the clerk at the Kiosk not to tell anyone.
Her husband Jim thought she was just kidding when she told him.
They run a small ranch, and would like to re-fence the ranch, and buy a silver corvette convertible. Jim wants an RV.
"Jim and I were having coffee at the mall and I turned to him and joked – I'm going to go and see about my $60-million ticket," she laughed. "I walked up to the kiosk, slipped the ticket into the ticket checker, saw the words 'big winner' and just stared at all those zeros. I whispered to myself, 'I did win it.' The mall was pretty quiet so I handed the ticket to the girl at the counter. When she saw the prize amount, her eyes widened and she put her hands up to her mouth. I leaned over the counter and told her, 'Please don't say a word.'"
Joan told her husband right away.
"Jim thought I was kidding until he saw the look on my face," she says. "Later at home, we laughed and hugged then went back to work. We run a small ranch and there were animals to feed."
Joan and Jim have five horses, three miniature donkeys named Rose, Daphne and Benjamin, plus Penny the mule, three dogs and two cats.
"My dream right now is to re-fence the ranch," says Joan. "I would love a silver Corvette convertible."