Lottery Win Loaded with Tragic Twists
If ever a lottery win was bittersweet, it was Richard Koenigsfeld's.
The 58-year-old petroleum truck driver from Marble Rock, Iowa bought what turned out to be a $1 million winning ticket and opted for the $650,000 cash option. He took home $455,000 after taxes.
But his story only begins there.
In October, Koenigsfeld's wife of 32 years, Dian, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The following month, his family had a big get-together, rallying around Dian. Three days later, Koenigsfeld's son, Gabe, 27, was killed in a construction accident. Gabe's wife was pregnant. Dian struggled mightily to hang on to see the baby. She died a month ago.
On "The Early Show" Wednesday, Koenigsfeld also told co-anchor Harry Smith of an amazing string of coincidences: He'd spent a day planting Dian's favorite flowers when he decided to try his luck at a casino. He won $325 -- and used some to that jackpot to buy the ticket that got him the much bigger one: