Roger Welsch was born on 6 November 1936 in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. He was married to Linda Welsch and Marilyn Henry. He died on 30 September 2022 in Dannebrog, Nebraska, USA.
He received a bachelor's and master's degree in German at the University of Nebraska. He taught German at Dana College and Nebraska Wesleyan University before joining the faculty at the University of Nebraska on a tenure track.