Dale Holcomb smiles while visiting Lottery headquarters to collect his $203,381 Fantasy 5 jackpot.

A last-minute decision to buy a Fantasy 5 ticket led a Jackson County man to a big payday!

Dale Holcomb, of Brooklyn, was out to dinner with his daughter and brother on Saturday night at Missy’s Little Grass Shack, located at 100 East Michigan Avenue in Grass Lake. On his way out the door, he decided to buy a Fantasy 5 ticket. That lucky decision won Holcomb the $203,381 Fantasy 5 jackpot, when his ticket matched the five numbers drawn Saturday: 01-04-11-27-39.

“I sat down to drink my coffee early Sunday morning and checked my tickets like I always do,” said Holcomb. “As I went down the line of numbers I was pretty surprised. I had to look at the ticket a half-dozen times, and even took a picture of it to make sure I was seeing everything correctly.”

After realizing he was the big winner, Holcomb settled back into his chair and finished his coffee before calling his daughter and brother to share the good news.

“They were both still asleep and they wouldn’t wake up,” said Holcomb. “When I finally got them to answer my calls, they were very excited for me.”

With his winnings, Holcomb plans to buy a new pick-up truck and help family members.

Holcomb has been retired for more than six years and says his big win also will help him enjoy his retirement.

“Winning will help make retirement easier and take the pressure off. I’m not changing, I like my life the way it is,” Holcomb said.