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Two Christmas lottery tickets worth $1 million

Bruce Bisping, Star Tribune

Daryl Schmidt of Blaine and Lindsey Iskierka of Oak Grove won the 2009 Minnesota Millionaire Raffle.

They're living everyone's daydream. Minnesota Millionaire Raffle made two state residents millionaires on Monday.

By EMILY JOHNS, Star Tribune

Last update: January 6, 2009 - 10:23 AM

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Check your tickets For winning raffle ticket numbers, go to www.lottery.state.mn.us .

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Next time you whine about having to make an emergency run for diapers, you might want to reconsider.

That's what brought the daughter-in-law of a Blaine couple to a SuperAmerica, where she bought a ticket for the Minnesota Millionaire Raffle and gave it to her in-laws for Christmas.

"I'm anxious to see what's coming for next Christmas," said Daryl Schmidt, who won with his wife, Jo.

The Minnesota State Lottery announced the winners Monday of its annual New Year's Day raffle, where participants pay $10 for each of 500,000 tickets. Tickets went on sale Oct. 19 and sold out Dec. 28.

The second million-dollar winner is 21-year-old Lindsey Iskierka, of Oak Grove, a 2005 graduate of St. Francis High School.

"I never thought I'd be so lucky," said Iskierka, who found out she had won just past midnight on Saturday. She had bought two tickets at a St. Francis gas station, but couldn't find them after the drawing.

Eventually, she found them stuffed in a drawer after coming home from work.

"I looked at the numbers online, then told my Mom, 'Oh my God, I think I won a million dollars,'" Iskierka said. "She said, 'What?' So I said, 'I won a million dollars! I did! I did!'"

Iskierka said she is pursuing a four-year degree in business marketing and management at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. She said she plans to buy a new car and to pay off her school loans with the money.

She doesn't plan to quit either of her jobs: She works at Famous Dave's in Coon Rapids and Taste of Pizza in St. Francis.

Her colleagues at Famous Dave's pressed her about it when she was at work the next day, she said, and they told all the tables in the restaurant about her good fortune.

She hopes to one day use the money to help start her own business, either a restaurant or a bar, she said.

The Schmidts watched the live televised drawing as their number was pulled from the hopper.

Daryl is retired from jobs at Control Data and Seagate Technology.

With the money, he plans to fix his car and drive his wife to Disney World.

"My wife and I talked for a number of years about wanting to go," Daryl said. "Now we can."

Keith Crozier, of Brooklyn Park, and Jill Rootes, of Hanover, each claimed $100,000 prizes. Two more players holding $100,000 tickets have yet to come forward. One of those tickets was sold in Hennepin County and the other was sold in Wright County.

Four prizes of $25,000 will be awarded, and 100 players won $500. A total of 110 players collectively won more than $2.55 million, lottery officials said.

Winners have until Jan. 4, 2010, to claim their prizes.

"This is a really exciting time," Daryl Schmidt said.

Emily Johns • 651-298-1541

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