‘Bittersweet’: Local woman wins $1M from scratch-off ticket 2 weeks before husband’s death

FREEPORT, Pa. — An Armstrong County woman won big on a scratch-off ticket, but called claiming the jackpot “bittersweet.”

“My husband had a brain tumor and died two weeks after I won,” said Karen Coffman, 61. “I kept telling him, ‘One of these days I’m going to hit the million!’ When I told him about this prize, he thought I was lying to him.”

Coffman was presented with a $1 million commemorative check on at the BP gas station on Buffalo Street in Freeport Thursday, the same place the winning ticket was sold.

Coffman said she was in disbelief when she scanned the ticket at the store and realized she won.

“I thought, ‘This can’t be right!’ The guy working there said, ‘What’s wrong?’ I said, ‘Look!’ He starts counting the zeroes and we then just started jumping up and down, hugging. When I got home, I was shaking,” said Coffman.

Coffman said she worked as a chef at a nursing home and recently retired, but after work she used to occasionally stop by the BP gas station to buy a scratch-off ticket or two.

“About 14 years ago, I won $65,000 on a Scratch-Off ticket that I purchased at the same location!” she said.

Coffman said she plans to invest part of this prize and is thinking about relocating to Florida to be closer to family and away from winter weather.

“I’m so done with the snow!” she added.

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