05 Oct

Desert Storm Marine Veteran and Wife Win $200 Million Powerball




Tim and Kellie Guderian, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, receive a check from Iowa Lottery CEO Edward Stanek, left, on Wednesday. Tim served during Desert Storm; Kelly works at Wal-Mart.

Ex-Marine, wife win $200 million Powerball
Odds of winning were 140 million-to-1; couple bought tickets in Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Fort Dodge couple who bought three Powerball tickets during a pit stop for soda came forward Wednesday to claim the $200 million jackpot.
Tim and Kellie Guderian bought the winning ticket Sept. 23 at a Kum & Go store in Fort Dodge.
They discovered their good fortune the following evening, as Kellie read off the winning numbers to an awe-struck Tim.
“What a stroke of luck,” Tim Guderian said. “It seemed like a dream.”
According to the Iowa lottery, the odds of winning were about 140 million-to-1.
Tim Guderian, 36, served in the Marines during Operation Desert Storm and works as an automotive detailer in Fort Dodge. His 44-year-old wife of nearly seven years is a sales associate at the Wal-Mart where the pair first met.

Wild Thing’s comment……
I am so happy for this couple, how neat is that to have it be a Veteran and his wife that won.
I love old movies and there is an old Glenn Ford movie called, “It started With a Kiss”. When I read about this couple winning the powerball I thought of that old movie immediately. I realize it is not the same thing but it just made me think of the old film.



It was about a girl that marries Sgt. Joe Fitzpatrick (Glenn Ford), an Air Force sergeant whose good luck wins him first prize in a raffle a $40,000 car. The car that he wins in the film is a 1955 Lincoln Futura, the one-off concept car that ultimately became the Batmobile on “Batman”.



Rhod says:

Glenn Ford died recently, and so did Ford Motor Company.

Wild Thing says:

Rhod yes and in real life Glenn Ford was a Veteran. I know it might be odd how I thought of that film, just one of those things how a mind can go from one thing to something else I guess. hahaa

TomR says:

I am happy for the Guderians. I hope this win enhances their lives and doesn’t disrupt them.
I vaguely remember this movie. It was one of those fun fantasy movies that made the 50’s and 60’s so much fun. Like the early James Bond films and the Pink Panther comedies.

gregor says:

that is so cool, it almost seems like a hollywood tale!
I loved Glenn Ford’s films. My favorite is Imitation General. If you haven’t seen it, look it up some time. It’s a WWII drama.

Wild Thing says:

Tom yes it was a fun movie to watch. I haven’t seen it in a long time, but it is one that makes me smile to remember it.
I agree I hope this money will make life sweeter for this couple they deserve it.

Wild Thing says:

Gregor thank you I sure will. I love the oldies and have a lot of them on tape. Thanks and I will look to see when it might be on.

Linda F says:

Nix the title of this post.
Marines are NEVER Ex-Marines, unless they left the service in disgrace.

Wild Thing says:

Linda F. please understand something. The title of my post is absolutely correct there is nothing wrong with it. I wrote that myself.
But the title that goes with the actual story is of course wrong as anyone can see. Please take note of that as I did not make any error on how I refer to the Marine. I was very careful to do my title of my post accurate. I cannot correct however the way a person that writes the actual article in the paper words things.