Cordelia Ross, a bus driver and devoted caretaker for her 97-year-old mother, experienced a rush of emotions after winning $250,000 on the last Friday of 2024. While the Muncie resident wasn’t expecting to win the top prize, she had always hoped that one day she would be a winner.

Her journey to this moment was not without its challenges. Two years ago, Cordelia survived a terrifying house fire caused by an explosion two houses down. Amid the chaos, she fought fiercely to escape, unsure if she would make it out. Today, her tireless spirit shines as she continues to care for her family. Her determination led to a top prize win on Friday that started out as a $50 Scratch-off win.

On Dec. 27, 2024, Cordelia began her day with a $50 Scratch-off win. Later that day, as her daughter was driving her home, they passed the same retailer where Cordelia had won $50 earlier that day and she asked her daughter to turn around so she could buy another Scratch-off.

As Cordelia scratched off the final number in the car, she screamed and “scared the daylights” out of her daughter. Overcome with emotion, Cordelia called her sister with her voice shaking and tried to explain the unbelievable news. Her sister asked “What’s wrong? What’s wrong?”

Cordelia exclaimed, “I won the grand prize! I won the grand prize!”

Her sister quickly responded with encouragement, advising her to sign the ticket, turn around and head straight to the Hoosier Lottery Prize Payment center in Indianapolis. With just a minute to spare, Cordelia ran into the Lottery’s headquarters just before it closed. Her heart was racing as she claimed her $250,000 grand prize.

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