I have been told that Minnesota is a difficult state deal with about lost titles. What do you mean tabs on plays? Do you mean the old license plates are still attached? That may be a big help. I would talk to the people at the DMV and ask them a lot of "what if questions", without telling them who you are. Sometimes you will get different answers from different clerks. You may find that you might get a favorable answer if you ask the right question or the right clerk. There may also be a way to get a duplicate title from a surviving spouse. Good luck, it shouldn't have to be this difficult.
I have said it before, but it is darn a shame that a lot of restoreable vehicles get chopped up for parts because of a lost title.
