Brookhaven couple claims $246M Powerball jackpot

William and Heather ten Broeke of Brookhaven claimed their $246 million prize on Monday. (Credit: Georgia Lottery)

William and Heather ten Broeke of Brookhaven claimed their $246 million prize on Monday. (Credit: Georgia Lottery)

Do yourself a favor, men.

Listen to your wives.

Brookhaven Powerball winner William ten Broeke, 46, just deposited the largest check of his life into his account because of a gentle nudge from his better half.

He was shopping at the Publix on Town Boulevard in Brookhaven when his wife had a life-altering question.

“Aren’t you going to get a ticket?” Heather ten Broeke, 38, asked.

Without that reminder, William ten Broeke said he would have forgotten to purchase the ticket, which turned out to be worth more than $246.7 million.

The ten Broekes, who have been married five years and have one child, claimed their prize Monday at Georgia Lottery headquarters, officials said in a news release. The couple selected the cash option, which totaled $165.6 million before taxes.

Days after the drawing, the ten Broekes saw news reports that a winning ticket purchased in Brookhaven had not been claimed. The winning numbers from the Sept. 17 drawing were 9-19-51-55-62. The Powerball was 14. The ten Broekes checked — and rechecked — the numbers on their ticket.

“We were shocked,” said William ten Broeke, a commercial credit officer. “We couldn’t believe it.”

They plan to invest their winnings, travel, help family and donate to charity.

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