Rhett Aaron Oelke

RHETT AARON OELKE, age 23 of New Ulm, formerly of Janesville, passed away unexpectedly in the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 29, 2026.

Rhett was born in Mankato on December 28, 2002, to parents Timothy and Jessica (Sandau) Oelke. He attended JWP schools and graduated with the Bulldog class of 2021. During high school, Rhett participated in football, wresting, and baseball. While playing sports, he was a teammate that supported everyone around him while making sure there was plenty of fun laced in. Rhett was also very involved in Scouting, beginning in kindergarten and eventually earning the rank of Eagle Scout. Through Scouting, Rhett learned the value of hard work and the importance of seeing a job through to completion. He put these skills good use in college at the University of Minnesota Duluth Campus, earning a degree in civil engineering and making the Dean’s List several times. During his time at UMD he made many lasting friends and was also a member of the Upsilon-Gamma Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, whose focus was on community outreach, specifically fundraising for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Following college, Rhett began working as a civil engineer at Bolton & Menk, Inc. in Sleepy Eye.

His love for sports that began as a preschooler in the wrestling room and a third grader on the football field continued into adulthood. He enjoyed following the Vikings, Twins, and Timberwolves in his free time and often had strong opinions about each team that he shared freely. He also had a fondness for the outdoors, spending time in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) with relatives and time on Swan Lake with his grandparents at their cabin. He was an avid gamer and reader (only of books of 400+ pages though), enjoyed watching movies in the theater and UFC fights with his friends, and liked to spend time hunting with his grandfather in both the boat and the blind. Rhett has been an enthusiastic collector and builder of all things Lego his whole life; the majority of those builds revolving around Star Wars. He and his family are long-time members of St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Janesville, where Rhett was a mass server in his youth.

Rhett is survived by his parents, Tim and Jessie Oelke of Janesville; his younger sister, Rachelle Oelke of Janesville; his maternal grandparents Jerry and Julie Sandau of New Ulm; his paternal grandparents, Eugene and Shannon Oelke of Janesville; aunts and uncles, Tracy and Matt Crawford of Charlottesville VA, Todd and Tina Oelke of Mankato, Tricia and Dustin Lee of North Mankato, and Trevor Oelke of Eagle Lake; and cousins, Nixon Crawford, Tyler and Raeanne Oelke, Tiera and Takya Oelke, Aaron and Lauren Lee, Mia and John Frid, Cara and Dan Chesmore, Ella Lee, Hailey, Caitlin, Emily, and Hannah Oelke. He was preceded in death by his “Crazy Aunt” Bonnie Smasal.

Visitation for Rhett will open at 4:00 p.m. and conclude at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Janesville, and will be open for one hour before the service at the church on Wednesday.

Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Janesville, with Father James Fogal as celebrant. Interment will follow at St. Ann’s Catholic Cemetery in Janesville, with a luncheon to follow at the St. Ann’s Parish Center.