One fine day, an Iowa woman literally hit a jackpot while she was just following a weekly routine that she shared with her husband. When Marjory Rittman, a resident of West Des Moines, woke up on the morning of Nov. 29, she didn’t expect that it would turn out to be an extraordinary day—something she and her husband had waited for years.
Her husband, Dale, died in March this year. But even after his death, she continued their tradition of playing crossword scratch games. It had been years since this activity became the couple’s Saturday night ritual. They never won big, but they kept telling each other that they were “going to hit the big one” someday, Rittman told Iowa Lottery officials.
Eight months after Dale’s death, their weekly ritual finally paid off. On the last weekend of November, Rittman spent her Saturday evening playing the $100,000 Mega Crossword scratch game. It was a good way to kill time on a snowy evening without her late husband. But by the end of it, she discovered that she’d won the top prize.
On Monday morning, she visited the Iowa Lottery’s headquarters as she watched the dream that she and her husband saw together come true. Rittman called the moment “absolutely surreal.”
Talking about the day, she said, “I just sat there and stared at it awhile. We were always waiting for that big one to come through, and it finally did.”
Rittman thinks that it’s a “gift” from her husband.
Marjory Rittman of West Des Moines kept a weekend scratch-off tradition she shared with her late husband, Dale. Last weekend, it paid off: $100,000!
“It’s surreal…maybe a sign and a gift from him.” ❤️ pic.twitter.com/68PpAdmNCP
— Iowa Lottery (@ialottery) December 1, 2025
The Mega Crossword scratch game costs $10 to play. It features 46 top prizes of $100,000. Moreover, there are 92 prizes of $10,000. The Iowa Lottery’s press release states that the overall odds are 1 in 3.29.
The website explains that the game is played with a set of letters provided on the ticket. Players try to complete words with the given letters. The more words they can form, the bigger prize they’ll win.
Rittman said she plans to invest most of her winning amount in her retirement fund. However, she also plans to take out some of the amount to give herself small treats of happiness, like buying new furniture.
Earlier in November, Opal Evans of Altoona was shocked at the counter when she learned that she had won $100,000. When she went to claim her prize at the lottery’s main office in Clive, she was asked, “Do you know what you won?” The woman replied with a ‘no’.
There’s no better way to start your week than claiming a $100,000 Powerball prize! 🤩Two lucky players — Larry McFarland Jr. from Davenport and Opal Evans from Altoona — each won $50,000 but they opted for the $1 Power Play add-on, doubling their winnings! Congratulations! 👏 pic.twitter.com/a3OHdoVpOU
— Iowa Lottery (@ialottery) November 17, 2025
She said that she was “shook” when she was told that she had won $100,000. She and her husband planned to donate some of their winnings to the church. They also decided to spend some of the winnings on traveling and to invest a portion of it. They also said that they’ll share a portion with their two children and nine grandchildren.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.
