Ocean County family of 19 shares big lottery jackpot

BEACHWOOD (WABC) -- Winning the lottery is without a doubt exciting, but for the Endreson family, it's a truly extraordinary event.

Sigrid Endreson spent a single dollar on the Pick-6 Lotto ticket that won the jackpot for $20-million dollars last month, and the Ocean County woman is sharing the new found fortune with 16 brothers and sisters who range in age from 53 to 76.

She also wants to share it with three children of a brother who died a few years ago.

Sigrid and her siblings can thank their mother for this lucky win.

The deceased patriarch of the family, William Endreson, emigrated from Norway in the early 20th Century. As a young man, he frequented dance halls and clubs on the Jersey Shore in places like Asbury Park and Seaside Heights. It was during this time he met his bride-to-be Flossie Clark. Once the match was made, the Endreson's became parents to 19 children, one of whom died in infancy.

They raised their 18 children in Ocean County in Seaside Park, where they lived happily and set down roots. William Endreson started his career as the Captain in a local fishery until he opened the doors to his own construction company in 1936. That business flourished and remains viable today headed by one of William's sons.

As successful as their business may have been, Flossie still enjoyed the dream of winning the lottery. She would play the lottery in the name of the family and had done so for many years. She had a certain methodology with which she said she would split the winnings among the family. The children, especially her daughter Sigrid, would listen carefully to her mother's plan.

Flossie had a few small wins before she passed away in 2004 at the age of 85, but never hit the big one. When the devoted mother passed away, the siblings gathered and collected funds to cover expenses for burial and the honorary dinners held for their mom. Sigrid, a daughter and caregiver to her mom, realized that there was money left over from the collection.

She once again began the lottery pool as her mother had done for so many years. It was these extra burial funds that won the Pick-6 Lotto jackpot of $20.1 million. So in the end, Flossie Clark-Endreson did win the lottery, and as it was intended, it will be shared amongst her children.

The winning Pick-6 Lotto ticket was purchased at 7-Eleven, 524 Lacey Road, Forked River in Ocean County. It was a quick pick ticket and only one game board was purchased for $1.00. The winning numbers for the Monday, June 16 drawing were: 03, 12, 18, 34, 35 and 42.