Flossie Endreson loved to play the lottery and never gave up hope that one day she would hit it big.
Flossie - a mother of 19 children - didn't live long enough to see her wish fulfilled. She died in 2004 at the age of 85. But her daughter Sigrid carried on her mother's tradition.
After Flossie died, the siblings chipped in to pay for her funeral and honorary dinners. There was enough left over after the bills were paid and Sigrid decided to start playing the lottery again.
On June 16, Sigrid's determination paid off. She plunked down a dollar for a Pick-6 lotto ticket at the Wawa on Lacey Road in Forked River. and won $20.1 million.
New Jersey Lottery Commission Director Carol Hedinger was on hand at the Beachwood Community Center Thursday afternoon to present the check to the family, said commission spokesperson Judith L. Drucker.
"So in the end, Flossie Clark-Endreson did win the lottery, and as it was intended, it will be shared amongst her children," Drucker said.
Flossie and William Endreson met in the early 20th century in the dance halls on the Jersey Shore. They later married and settled in Seaside Park, where William was a successful captain in a local fishery before he started his own construction company in 1936, Drucker said.
The Enderson children range in age from 76 years old to 53 years old, 13 of whom still reside in Ocean County. One sister, Gudrun, passed away, so her children will receive her share, she said.
The split is not equal but it is based on Flossie's wishes.The winning Pick-6 Lotto was a quick pick ticket and only one game board was purchased for $1. The winning numbers for the Monday, June 16 drawing were: 03, 12, 18, 34, 35 and 42, Drucker said.
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