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Norwood was abuzz with excitement on a sweltering summer day in July 1986. For Jean M. Taylor, a devoted mother of three, a routine trip for a lottery ticket would prove to be a life-changing turning point that secured her family’s financial future.
Jean M. Taylor, a forty-three-year-old resident of 11 Monroe St., had been living a humble life with her husband and three children. On Saturday, July 26, 1986, she made her way to Pam’s Market in Norwood to purchase a ticket for the Massachusetts Megabucks drawing. Choosing her numbers completely at random—1-7-9-18-24-26—she struck gold when the combination emerged as a winner. The massive state jackpot had reached an astonishing $4,775,533, with seven lucky winners ultimately sharing the grand prize. As one of the co-winners, Jean M. Taylor secured a staggering $682,219, to be distributed over twenty years in annual payments of $34,110.
Collecting her first check at State Lottery headquarters in Braintree, Jean M. Taylor welcomed the sudden windfall with immense relief and excitement. The timing proved nothing short of miraculous, as her daughter’s college tuition payment was due on August 1, providing immediate funds to support her child’s higher education. While sharing the winner’s circle with six other fortunate ticket-holders across the Commonwealth, Jean M. Taylor‘s remarkable story captivated local residents and served as a joyful reminder of the unexpected turns of fortune in everyday life.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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Norwood Woman Continues to Care with Program’s Help-July 19, 1993
/In the quaint town of Norwood, Massachusetts, a remarkable story of compassion and dedication has unfolded over the past twelve years. Marie Jaras, a widow in her mid-sixties, has been providing a foster home for Ormond Kingsbury, an elderly man who had been her boss at the Plympton Press. The arrangement began informally, with Kingsbury…
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Breaking the Silence on Brittle Bone Disorder-This Day in Norwood History-June 28, 1991
A Norwood family’s national custody battle over a rare bone disorder inspires a new library support group to protect innocent parents.
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Norwood Greenhouse Resident to Relocate to Quincy-July 02, 1981
In the summer of 1981, a Norwood veteran struggling with housing instability turned a local greenhouse into a makeshift home before the community rallied to find him a more dignified living situation.
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The Master Navigator of Local Commerce-This Day in Norwood History-June 28, 1980
An 80-year-old former union pioneer and Edison engineer commands the Norwood Chamber, working a grueling 40-hour week.
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Rescued by Neighbor: Norwood Woman Survives 5-Day Ordeal-July 9, 1979
Discover the heroic story of Jim Rossetsky, an orderly at Norwood Hospital, who discovered his 65-year-old neighbor injured in her bedroom after she had been trapped for five days.
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Norwood Man Named New Dean At Brandeis University-July 16, 1963
Formerly the State Budget Commissioner, Morrissey takes on oversight of student services while continuing to lecture in politics.
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Jabez Sumner of Norwood Remembers Old Stage Coaching Days, And Relates Interesting Reminiscences-This Day In Norwood History-June 22, 1902
CHAMPION OF MODERN RAILROADS. One of the unique and interesting characters in Norwood is Jabez Sumner, who lives alone in Nahatan St, a very pretty residential thoroughfare, and who, for two or three generations, has been one of the best-known men in the village. He leads in part the life of a hermit, but takes…
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