It was the store owner who first informed Matt Perdue of his big Kentucky Lottery Powerball win.

According to a Friday release from the organization, Perdue, of Bowling Green, visited his regular spot, AM Express, in early November only to be surprised with congratulations from the owner. Perdue, who had purchased a Powerball ticket at the store about a week before, Oct. 30, had no idea.

“About a week later, I go back to the store to buy a Diet Mountain Dew when the owner tells me, ‘Congratulations,’” Perdue said, according to the release.

He didn’t understand at first, but the owner told him she had him on video purchasing a winning Powerball ticket worth $50,000.

The winning numbers for the Oct. 30 Powerball drawing were 19, 22, 34, 66, 69 and Powerball 5. The jackpot was at $138 million for the drawing, but there were no jackpot, $2 million or $1 million winners that night, Powerball reports. There were just five $50,000 winners on that draw.

But Perdue and his wife didn’t know where the ticket was or if they even still had it.

“I’ve been beating myself up for three months thinking I threw this ticket away,” Perdue’s wife, who was not named in the release, told lottery officials. “I did throw a ticket away, but it was an older ticket. Then I convinced myself maybe it was the ticket.”

The couple didn’t give up the search, however. Perdue was preparing a company car for an out-of-town visitor when he stumbled across the missing ticket earlier this month. It was on the front seat of the vehicle.

“I look down and saw it,” Perdue told officials. “I picked it up and I saw October 30th and I said, ‘That’s my ticket!’”

Perdue suspects the ticket dropped from his pocket when he last used the car. Pleased with the find, he texted his wife a picture of the prized ticket.

“I don’t know how long it might have sat out there if I hadn’t needed the car,” he said. “I was shaking a little bit.”

Finally, with the ticket in hand, the couple was recently able to receive their Powerball prize money, which totaled $36,000 after taxes. With the money, they told lottery officials they intend to pay some bills and perhaps plan a trip.

The AM Express where Perdue is a regular will get a $500 prize for selling the winning ticket.

Kentucky has had several recent Powerball winners. Just ahead of Christmas, a Radcliff man won $1 million on the popular game, and that same Dec. 20 drawing also produced a surprise $2 million win for an Elizabethtown woman.

The next Powerball drawing is Saturday night, and the jackpot is at $376 million with an estimated cash value of $177.5 million.

If you or someone you know has a problem gambling, help is available at 1-800-522-4700.

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