Paul and Teresa Hartsoe, from the town of Conowingo in Cecil County, Maryland, won a cool million on the state’s Mega Millions draw.
In a statement obtained by Zenger News, the Maryland Lottery said on April 15: “A Cecil County couple could not stop smiling as they claimed a 1-million-dollar Mega Millions prize Friday morning.
“Paul Hartsoe matched the five white balls drawn in the Tuesday, April 12 drawing, missing only the Mega Ball. He is the second Marylander to win a second-tier Mega Millions prize in 2022.
“The commercial construction worker is a fan of both the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot games and plays them weekly. Last Tuesday, Paul stopped at Royal Farms #087 in Conowingo to fill up his work truck and play his jackpot games.”
Maryland Lottery said: “She became curious when a Maryland Lottery Facebook alert came across her phone. The alert said someone purchased a USD 1 million Mega Millions ticket at the same Royal Farms store where Paul bought his tickets. Teresa called him at work to share the news.
Teresa, 60, said: “I told him to check his tickets because someone won Mega Millions from Conowingo. He told me the tickets were at home, so I got them from the dresser and began reading off the winning numbers.”
Paul, 62, said: “I was in disbelief. We kept checking the numbers over and over.
Conowingo is a small town, so the word got out. I don’t want to toot our own horn, but everyone was saying how we are so deserving of this prize.”
The couple, who have two adult children and six grandchildren, claimed the prize on Friday morning.
The lottery company said: “Paul said he hopes to retire in a few years and will put some money aside for that. Teresa hopes to upgrade her vehicle. They both want to make improvements to their farmhouse.”
Last month, a Maryland teacher won $50,000 when her thoughtful husband bought her a scratch card to lift her spirits.
Maryland Lottery said: “Last month, when Robyn Mejia was having a rough week, her husband brought home a Ca$h to Go! scratch-off to try and lift her spirits.
“Not only did the purchase lift her spirits, it made their plan to buy a new house a reality. Robyn scratched off the instant ticket on March 12, soon after her husband brought it home from 7-Eleven #28960 in Thurmont. They couldn’t believe their eyes when the 5-dollar scratch-off revealed a 50,000-dollar top prize.”
The mother of two said: “We have been saving money for a down payment on a house, thinking we would be ready by the end of the year, but now we don’t have to wait!”
The lottery company said: “The seasoned teacher, with 18 years of experience, kept the instant ticket in a safe until she was able to come to Baltimore to claim the prize during her school system’s spring break.
