Paul Rewitzer, 73, and his wife, Paulette Rewitzer, 74, of Hanska, Minnesota, died following a two-vehicle crash on Brown County Road 13 early Saturday morning, August 29, 2026. Their deaths have left family members, friends and neighbors mourning the sudden loss of a longtime Hanska couple.
According to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called shortly after midnight to a crash on Brown County Road 13, just north of Brown County Road 22. When emergency responders arrived, they found two heavily damaged vehicles, a Chevrolet Silverado and an Oldsmobile.
Paul was driving the Oldsmobile, with Paulette traveling as his passenger. Both were found inside the vehicle and were pronounced dead at the scene from injuries suffered in the collision.
The driver of the Silverado was identified as 28-year-old Shianne Lee Escobar of Hanska. She was transported to New Ulm Medical Center following the crash.
Escobar later faced two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. Authorities allege that she was operating the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision. The charges are allegations, and Escobar remains entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty in court.
The Brown County Sheriff’s Office and Minnesota State Patrol are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the crash. Investigators are working to establish the full sequence of events and determine what happened in the moments before the two vehicles collided.
For the Hanska community, the deaths of Paul and Paulette represent the loss of a couple whose lives were closely intertwined with the people and community around them. Their decades together, shared experiences and relationships with family, friends and neighbors will remain part of the memories held by those who knew them.
As loved ones prepare to say goodbye, funeral arrangements have been announced. A funeral service for Paul and Paulette is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, September 10, 2026, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, with Pastor Amy Karlson officiating. Visitation is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, at Minnesota Valley Funeral Home’s South Chapel in New Ulm.
The upcoming services will provide family, friends and community members an opportunity to gather, remember the couple and offer support to one another during an exceptionally difficult time.
Paul and Paulette Rewitzer’s deaths have brought profound sadness to Hanska and the surrounding Brown County area. As the investigation continues, those who loved them are focusing on the memories they created together and the lasting impression they leave on the people whose lives they touched.
