Durbin Couple Wins $1 Million Powerball Prize

Frank and Patricia Proud of Durbin, today became $1 million richer from a Powerball ticket purchased for last night’s drawing (April 7). Although the couple purchased six tickets, they only chose the PowerPlay multiplier on one, which happened to be the ticket that won the million dollar cash prize.

Lottery Director John Musgrave said this win illustrates the benefit of the PowerPlay option in increasing the amount of a single prize. “If a player pays a dollar extra for the PowerPlay multiplier option and matches all five white balls, the prize automatically jumps from $200,000 to $1 million. Our computer records indicate we had another $200,000 Powerball prize won from a ticket bought at Giant Eagle in Granville, but the player didn’t choose the PowerPlay option . . . what a difference a dollar could have made.” Musgrave said the one million dollar ticket was purchased from Trent’s General Store in Bartow, Pocahontas County.

Frank said he and his wife always buy one “easy pick” ticket for each Powerball drawing, “But occasionally, I’ll buy five or ten and the clerk always tells me that if we win, I can just buy her a pack of gum.” Believing they had won $200,000, “I waltzed in and said, ‘Francine, pick out your pack of gum,’ told her to keep the change from $100 and gave the cook $20; now that I know we won a million, I may have to go back in and buy her another pack of gum.”

The couple has two grown sons and one grandchild. Frank is a self employed CPA, while Patricia is a retired Bed and Breakfast operator. The numbers on their ticket were 4-36-40-44-52 PB 3. Frank noted that the Powerball number drawn was 33, “Which means we missed the $125 million jackpot by a single digit.”

Musgrave said this win represents the second $1 million PowerPlay winner from a ticket purchased in West Virginia. “In 2009, a Virginia resident claimed the prize from a ticket purchased at Embassy Suites in Charleston.”