The Bookkeeper and the Landscaper: Medford, Ore.'s, Richest Couple

Nov. 14, 2005— -- In Medford, Ore., the richest man in town cares for lawns and the richest woman balances the books of the cheerleading booster club.

That's ever since Steve and Carolyn West -- along with Carolyn's parents, Frances and Bob Chaney -- won the biggest Powerball jackpot in history: $340 million.

The odds were one in 146.1 million of winning the historic Powerball, which is played in 27 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. But the $40 the Wests and Chaneys invested in the lottery paid off in a way they never imagined on Oct. 19.

We felt "more shock than anything else," Steve West said. "We're coming down to Earth that it's for real, but in the beginning it was disbelief."

This is one family that doesn't plan to let the money go to its heads. Carolyn West plans to keep working as a bookkeeper, a fill-in bus driver and treasurer of her daughter's cheerleading booster squad. Steve West intends to continue running his landscaping business, although he said he will scale back to 25 to 30 hours per week.

The Wests may have a harder time keeping their four children's feet on the ground.

Upon hearing the news of his parents' new fortune, Curtis, 18, promptly left his dorm room at Oregon State University and ordered a Toyota Prius, then happily announced, "Hi. I bought a car, and it costs $29,000. It will be here in six weeks." Steven told him to cancel the order.

Steven West, however, could not stop his father-in-law from buying a yellow Hummer. Due to a handful of health problems and a serious fall last year, Bob Chaney won't even be able to drive his new car, but says he doesn't care. He's always wanted one, even if it just sits in the driveway.

In addition to Bob Chaney's health problems, the Wests' daughter Erin, 16, has juvenile diabetes, and Steve West was working several jobs to pay for her medical care. At one point, he filed for bankruptcy.

The Wests and Chaneys want to help others through tough times. They say their biggest expenditure will be to set up a foundation for people to apply for grants for whatever they need, including education and health care. They hope it will be running by 2007.

The Wests have two other children. Matthew, 21, is a Marine stationed at Fort Lejeune in North Carolina, who has served two tours of duty in Iraq, and Meagan, 14, is in high school.