Terrell Bethea of West End told his wife years ago that she deserved to have a house, the North Carolina Education Lottery said in a release.
With the million-plus win, he can make good on that ideal.
"Now I can get my family the house they deserve," Bethea said.
Bethea said his wife got emotional when he told her the good news.
"She fell to her knees and broke down crying," he recalled.
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Bethea's big win came right before his 36th birthday.
"This happened two days before my birthday," he said with a laugh, "Isn't that wild?"
Bethea bought the winning ticket for $1 at the Friendly Mart on N.C. 24/27 in Robbins.
On Tuesday, Bethea claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh and after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $811,106.
"This means more to me than you can possibly imagine," Bethea said.
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