CHIMACUM — George Huntingford Sr., 92, played the same lottery numbers for about 18 years before they won him $2.1 million.
“When I found out I had diabetes, I had to quit drinking and eating so much sugar,” the Chimacum man said Thursday.
“So I took that money, picked out some numbers and played the lottery every once in a while. It went to the schools, so it was a good donation to the state.”
Those numbers he selected 18 years ago, 3-10-21-25-43-45, were the winning numbers of Saturday’s $2.1 million jackpot.
His $1 ticket, purchased at Chimacum Chevron, turned out to be quite an investment.
He’s giving the money to his sons, Howard Huntingford and George Huntingford Jr.
‘Yup, we got ’em’
“I read Dad the winning lotto numbers the morning after the drawing and he said to me, ‘Yup, we got ’em,’ and that was that,” Howard Huntingford said.
“Today my brother, George Jr., and I went down to Olympia, and they gave us the check.”
The two opted for annual payments, and will split $63,000 after taxes each year for 25 years.
George Sr. said he purchased the ticket for his sons because they had seen some rough times.
“Howard hurt his knee awhile back, and George Jr. just recently had a heart attack,” said their father.
“Then they had to sell the dairy farm, and they have been without work, so this is a good thing.”
In 2004, Howard and George Huntingford Jr. sold Gee Jem Dairy, which they had worked for decades.
“That was rough,” said Howard Huntingford. “I remember thinking that all I wanted was a job.
“I had about $15,000 that I’ve been living off of since then, staying at the house and helping Dad with things.
“I guess this takes off a lot of stress.”
Buy car, cows
Howard Huntingford said the first thing he plans to buy is a car, but not a new one. He also wants to buy a few cows to take care of, but not a full dairy farm.
George Huntingford Sr., meanwhile, said he doesn’t intend to keep any of the money.
“I just bought it,” he said. “It’s their ticket, but I guess I still won, so that’s something.”
George Huntingford Sr. said the last thing he had won was an election, referring to his days as a Jefferson County commissioner from 1946 to 1972.
A nephew, Glen Huntingford, also served as a county commissioner. His service was for 12 years, from 1992 to 2004.
Lottery Communication Director Jacque Coe, declined to confirm the identity of the Lotto winners, saying more paperwork had to completed, but did say the winners were from Jefferson County.
First in county since 1992
Coe said the jackpot was the first to be won in Jefferson County since 1992, when Jacqueline Trimmer of Brinnon won $6 million from the state lottery.
Meanwhile, one of the owners of the Chimacum Chevron said she is thrilled to hear that the winner is local.
“I’ve had my fingers crossed that it would be someone local,” said YC Grimaud, co-owner of the family-run Chevron station.
“I really like hearing that it’s a local person, and that the money will stay here in the county.”
The store will receive 1 percent of the winnings, or $21,000, for selling the winning ticket.
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.