Father, son, couple - all from Billings -strike lottery gold

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2000 | 9:39 a.m.

On Monday, his son Erik, also from Billings, claimed a $50,000 jackpot in the same lottery, the result of Sunday night's drawing.

His father's Cash 4 Life jackpot was won in the Jan. 31 drawing.

Erik, 20, said he plans on investing most of his money for the future, somewhere "I can't get at it." But he plans to hold out a few bucks for a new pair of shoes.

He said his mother was critical of the shoes he wore when the family traveled to Helena last Wednesday.

Erik said he had no idea what the odds of two family members winning the same game in just over a week would be but isn't complaining. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," he said.

Also on Monday a Billings couple, Ray and Linda Darneal, arrived to collect their half of the $140,000 Montana Cash jackpot that they won over the weekend.

"Pay bills," they replied to the inevitable question. They also will fly their children and grandchildren home this summer for a family reunion and to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

Mrs. Darneal said the couple buys tickets for all three lotteries twice a week.

A second ticket hit all the numbers for the weekend Montana Cash jackpot, but the holder has not yet come forward. The ticket was sold at Ronan Harvest Food in Ronan.