Persistence pays for lottery winner

Graettinger man bought ticket for ‘power’ group

By Michael Tidemann - Staff Writer
GRAETTINGER — For the last 10 years, you could set your clock by watching Dennis Berry of Graettinger buy a Powerball lottery ticket. He and his fellow employees at the Corn Belt Power Cooperative Earl F. Wisdom generating station midway between Spencer and Everly all chipped in a buck each once a week. It was like fishing with a net, you might say.

And then last week they caught the big one.

Berry and 14 fellow employees won the $200,000 Powerball jackpot. Berry bought the winning ticket at the Graettinger Country Store.

After taxes, each person received $8,750.

So what’s Berry going to do with his share of the winnings?

“I’m going to Louisiana with it to see my father,” he said, a little Louisiana drawl still hanging on his tongue despite years in the Midwest.

When asked about his wife Pamela’s reaction, said Berry, “She said OK, good.”

Berry said he’ll keep buying Powerball tickets. After all, it’s just a $1 a week investment. He says it’s a good idea for employees to get together and buy tickets on a regular basis.

So how’s their luck been up until now?

“We’ve won $100 several times but nothing like this,” Berry said.

Ray Lathrop, Corn Belt maintenance supervisor, was also in on the winning ticket.

“It was a nice come-to-work-Thursday-morning present,” Lathrop said, describing the winning employees’ mood as “low key but happy.”

Kevin White of Spencer said he was “surprised, I guess” at being one of the winners. When asked about what he’ll do with his share, said White, “I have no idea whatsoever.”

“It was pretty cool,” said Cody Montgomery of Greenville. “I’ll pay off a few bills, celebrate with the rest.”