Wade Allen Roeker

Wade Roeker, age 56 of Cottage Grove, Minnesota passed away unexpectedly on Monday, July 13, 2026.

Funeral service will be at 11 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2026 at The Harbor Church, 11125 Pt. Douglas Dr. S.; Hastings, MN with a visitation from 9-11 AM prior to service. All are invited to a luncheon following service. Interment will take place at Cottage Grove Cemetery in Cottage Grove, Minnesota.

A love letter from Kimberly to Wade

"My dearest Wade,

God sent you to earth on February 4, 1970, to Garry and Lucy (Thiesfeld) Roeker in Mankato, Minn. Your big sisters, Pam and Sheila, were there to welcome you home. Your childhood in St. Clair and small-town Welcome, Minn., were filled with happiness and life lessons among family and friends. That is where you developed all the characteristics that made you such a wonderful man. You loved spending time hunting and trapping with your dad and grandpa Roeker, where you learned patience and dedication. Playing football, basketball, and baseball forged a spirit of perseverance and determination that shone through in everything you did. You knew the value of hard work, and you were a good steward of all that you were entrusted with. You learned how to be a loyal friend and neighbor and a lover of Jesus.

When I met you in 1990, my life changed forever, and we have built an amazing life and family together. Wade Allen Roeker and Kimberly Lynn Else were married at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Willow Creek, Minn., on June 28, 1997, and our marriage has been a mountaintop experience — the best thing I could have ever done in my life. Our greatest joys are our two wonderful children, Ryan and Ally, who joined us in 1998 and 2000 and have grown into phenomenal young adults who learned their best qualities from you.

You gave your everything to this family. You cared so deeply and sacrificed so much, and we can never repay you for everything you gave us. We feel your love and your pride in us every single day.

After earning your bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University in 1992, we moved to Cottage Grove with our dog, Sammy Jo, and you started working at Flint Hills Resources oil refinery as an FCC operator. You spent 33 dedicated years as a loyal employee, and demonstrated such courage and service as a volunteer firefighter for 30 years on the Pine Bend Emergency Response Team.

They loved you there. Everyone at work had the same things to say about you — that you are one of the nicest people they could ever meet, kind, patient, generous, funny, and genuinely caring. They have so much respect and admiration for your knowledge and experience, for your willingness to always lend a hand or a joke, and most of all for who you are — for your character and integrity and care.

I see your love for nature in every tree I pass and every bird (and squirrel) that finds something to eat in our backyard. I feel your handiness and hard work in every inch of our house that you turned into a home. I hear your joy in every song in your expansive, wide-ranging music collection. I will miss our walks and bike rides together, and our drives down to Grey Cloud Island just to see how the deer are doing, and your phone calls from every shift at work. I will miss everything about you.

God couldn’t wait to be with you any longer, and He took you from us unexpectedly on July 13, 2026, at age 56, to join Him in heaven. You made an impact on so many while you were here — too many to name. You will be especially remembered by your family: me; our children, Ryan and Ally; your sisters, Pamela Mosloski and Sheila (Kris Ellefsen) Roeker; your nieces, Courtney, Mallory, and Brittney Mosloski; your father-in-law, Wendell Else; your siblings-in-law, Krysta Osborne, Kyle Else, and Karyn (Mike Bauer) Else; and extended family, friends, and many, many loved ones. Say “hi” to your parents, Garry and Lucy; my mom, Kathy Else; your brother-in-law, Kory Else; and our grandparents.

We are celebrating your life with a ceremony at 11 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at The Harbor Church, Hastings, Minn., with a visitation from 9-11 AM before the service. You will be buried in a beautiful spot at the Cottage Grove Cemetery, among the trees and the deer. You are gone from us too soon, and we are already looking forward to the day we will see you again with Jesus in heaven."

Love you forever,
Kimmy

LIVESTREAM INFORMATION: For those who would like to participate in the service via livestream, you can watch the service by scrolling to the bottom of this page and click "PLAY" to begin. Please leave a message of support on our Tribute Wall to let the family know you were able to watch the service. If you are having trouble with the Livestream, the service will be available to watch later in the day.