The luck of a New Jersey woman who was furloughed during the government shutdown changed dramatically after she won the the largest Pick-6 jackpot since 2004.

Judith Smith of Bayonne and her children, William Kenneth Lee Smith and Sarah Jude Smith, were announced Wednesday as the winners of the $29.5 million Dec. 17, 2018 Pick-6 Jackpot, according to a release from the New Jersey Lottery.

Smith, who works as a park ranger at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island, bought the winning ticket at Eddy’s Wine and Liquors in Bayonne, lottery officials said.

When Smith realized that she had just become a millionaire, she had her son return to the liquor store to scan the ticket to confirm that they had picked the lucky numbers.

The family kept the winning ticket in a safe place, hired an attorney and sought financial advice before filing a claim for the largest Pick-6 jackpot in New Jersey since May 2004.

“At Lottery Headquarters in Lawrenceville, three lucky people came forward to claim their jackpot and start 2019 as a happy new year,” a New Jersey Lottery statement said.

The news of the Pick 6 winner coming forward comes on the heels of a Somerset County man claiming the $1 million Powerball prize he won with a ticket he bought just before ticket sales closed for Saturday night’s drawing.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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