Jackpot lottery winner thought wife’s celebration ‘was going to break the floor’

A grandfather won a lottery jackpot, but his wife’s celebration caused him a mild panic, Illinois officials say.

As is the case for most lottery winners, Clarence Neuenkirchen scored his big windfall thanks to a lot of luck. He hoped to purchase a $5 Crossword ticket at a Jewel-Osco store in Oswego, but the game was sold out, according to the Illinois Lottery.

Instead, he bought a 7X Bingo Multiplier ticket.

Neuenkirchen, of Montgomery, won the top prize of $200,000 and immediately shared the good news with his wife.

“I honestly thought she was going to break the floor — she kept jumping up and down!” the winner told lottery officials, according to in Aug. 26 news release.

The 7X Bingo Multiplier costs $5 to play, and odds of winning the $200,000 prize are 1 in 1,797,696.

“Maybe once the money is in our account, it’ll finally feel real,” he said.

Neuenkirchen said he plans to invest his winnings for retirement and help out his grandchildren financially.

Then, he plans on doing some globetrotting with his wife.

“We’re excited about a cruise in the Gulf and maybe even travel to France,” he told lottery officials.

Montgomery is about a 45-mile drive west from Chicago.

This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Jackpot lottery winner thought wife’s celebration ‘was going to break the floor’."