Couple can take long-awaited honeymoon after husband wins big in Iowa lottery

A years-long run of bad luck kept a married Iowa couple from going on their honeymoon, but that streak was finally broken thanks to a lucky lottery ticket, officials say.

Kevin Jensen, 36, married his wife Nicole in 2019, but their honeymoon plans were put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic, then a severe winter storm, lottery officials said.

While fate seemed intent on preventing their romantic getaway, that all changed when Jensen stopped at a Casey’s convenience store in Marshalltown and bought a Mega Crossword lottery ticket.

He went home and while having his coffee the next morning, Jensen started scratching off the boxes on the ticket, revealing a very welcome surprise, he told lottery officials.

“I scratched that thing and it took me three times to verify the whole thing,” Jensen said. He had won a $100,000 prize.

He drove back to the store where he purchased the ticket and double-checked at the store’s lotto terminal, officials said. He wanted to be sure before he shared the news with his wife.

“I went home, and my wife likes to sleep in on Saturdays, but I barged in and said, ‘No, you need to wake up and see this!’” he said.

And with that, the couple started planning a trip to Key Largo in Florida for their honeymoon, four years late but better than never.

“This more than makes up for it,” Jensen said.

This story was originally published February 15, 2023 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Couple can take long-awaited honeymoon after husband wins big in Iowa lottery."