Wife was convinced husband’s $1 million lottery win was a dream. Then she woke up

Mike Stunson
·2 min read

A 78-year-old Powerball winner learned early in the morning he won a 7-figure prize, but his wife thought it was all a dream.

The $1 million prize was real for Charles Wolthuis, a man from the town of Ionia, Michigan, who plays Powerball regularly.

He matched the five white balls — 12-26-27-43-47 — in the Oct. 2 drawing to win the $1 million prize. Wolthuis said he learned the morning after the drawing that he’d won.

“I checked my ticket and saw I’d matched five numbers, but I wasn’t sure what I’d won,” he told Michigan Lottery officials in an Oct. 27 news release. “I called my daughter and asked her to check and see what the prize is for matching five numbers. It was quiet for a minute, and then she said: ‘Dad, you won $1 million!’”

Odds of winning $1 million in the Powerball drawing are 1-in-11,688,054. Had Wolthuis also matched the Powerball No. 5, he would have won the $1.07 billion jackpot.

But Wolthuis’ wife had a difficult time believing the $1 million win was real, let alone $1 billion.

“I woke up my wife and told her we won $1 million, but she thought I was kidding and went back to bed,” Wolthuis said. “When she woke up, she told me she had a dream that we won the Lottery. I said: ‘We did! That wasn’t a dream, we won $1 million!’”

Wolthuis plans to pay off his home and purchase a new truck with his winnings.

Ionia is about 30 miles east of Grand Rapids.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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