Minnesota waitress wins nearly $12M lottery prize, keeps her job

Rhonda Meath, 51, won’t let a $11.7 million jackpot get between her and her job as a waitress at the Lake Elmo Inn in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.

"I actually really enjoy my job," Rhonda told ABC News.

"I have great friends here and a great boss, and it’s just really a fantastic place to work, so I have no plans of leaving."

Rhonda and her husband, Joe, arrived at lottery headquarters on Monday to claim last Saturday’s $11.7 million Hot Lotto jackpot.

Joe, who plays the lottery every day, initially thought the ticket he bought over the weekend was worth $1,000. When he realized he held the winning ticket for the largest-ever jackpot of its kind, it took about an hour “for it to sink in" before he told his wife.

Because Hot Lotto pays the state and federal taxes, the Meaths took home the full payout.

"It was just a little shocking at first," Meath admitted.

Still, the couple, who have been married for 32 years and have four children and three grandchildren, vow that little will change now that they’re multimillionaires.

“I don’t think it’s going to change our life that much,” Joe told the Star Tribune.

“We really hope it doesn’t change the people around us,” Rhonda added.

Rhonda will keep her job at the inn and will also continue to train therapy dogs in her free time.

Joe, 53, who retired three years ago after a back injury, plans to keep driving his truck, which has 280,000 miles on it.

When it comes to spending, other than splurging on a new car for Rhonda — and maybe an RV — the Meaths are committed to making charitable donations and setting aside some money for their kids.

On Monday, the Meaths gave $15,000 to the 18-year-old clerk who sold Joe the winning ticket to help her pay for college.