A couple from Downer's Grove, Illinois, claimed their $1 million Mega Millions prize on Thursday after a frantic hunt for their misplaced ticket.
Dave and Cathy Seiden matched five of the winning numbers in the March 18 drawing, but never thought to check their ticket until one of Cathy's work colleagues told her someone in the area had failed to claim a major prize.
After she bought the ticket from the Jewel-Osco supermarket in Woodridge Cathy gave it to her husband for safekeeping, but when she asked him where it was he was forced to admit he had no idea so they had to "tear the house apart" in search of the missing ticket. They eventually found it amongst a pile of papers and were amazed to discover they were the missing winners.
The couple now plans to set the money aside for their children's college fund and keep playing the lottery as normal, but with one major change.
"From now on, all tickets go through me and they go to the magnet on the fridge," Cathy said.
