Thursday, December 14, 2006

Hattemers strike gold twice for $4

Lightning has struck twice, but in a good way, for Oskaloosans Ed and Kelly Hattemer as two scratch-off lottery tickets recently paid off rather nicely for the couple.

Ed Hattemer told lottery officials Kelly stopped at Metzger’s Bear Essentials on the west side of town along Jefferson Street the morning of Dec. 3 and bought a couple $2 Bonus Crossword lottery tickets. On one of them she matched nine words, which wins the scratcher $2,000. Ed, who works in Topeka, claimed the prize Dec. 4 at Lottery headquarters in Topeka.

On the morning of Dec. 5, Ed was driving someone to the airport when Kelly called. She had purchased a couple more $2 Bonus Crossword tickets at Metzger’s and, again, she had matched nine words on one ticket to win another $2,000.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Ed said. The couple has seven children, two grandchildren and another grandchild on the way. “What are the odds that two $2,000 prizes would be at the same store just days apart?”

Ed said the couple plans to use the winnings for Christmas presents and bills.