Philip Otto Rosfeld was born June 17, 1938, to Victor and Alice (Voss) Rosfeld. He grew up on a farm/ranch southwest of Rushville, NE, attending school in a one room schoolhouse with his siblings and cousins. He went on to graduate from Rushville High School in 1955. Blessed with an inclination for music from an early age, he studied and graduated from Chadron State College with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. He went on to teach high school music and band in Lyman and Valentine. In 1963, he took the Valentine High School marching band to Portland, OR where they led off the Rose Festival Parade. While teaching in Valentine, he met and married the catch of his life, Elizabeth “Ann” Colburn, on March 7, 1964. They went on to celebrate 62 years and three sons together. Otto continued his teaching career in Holyoke CO, Cheyenne WY, Bridgeport, Republican Valley, and Brule before returning to Valentine for many years. He retired from teaching in 1994.
Otto’s second verse included being the Presbyterian Church Choir director; presenting Nebraska history with songs and antiques through the Nebraska Humanities program; grant writing to start the Valentine Old West Days; and headlining Cowboy Songs and Range Ballads at the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, WY and the Durango Colorado Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Through these activities he made numerous friends and years of memories. He is remembered for constantly entertaining friends and family with his guitar and washboard, writing original songs and poetry ranging from the Blizzard of 1949 to Nebraska Sandhills history including the Niobrara River and reviving old songs that had been lost to time.
Otto was a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan. When he was a small boy, his father would draw a scorecard for him to fill out as Otto listened to Cardinal’s games on the radio. It was a good way to keep a boy out of mischief while dad was in the fields. As a teenager he enjoyed playing baseball at the Modisett Ballpark in Rushville.
He spent his last verse enjoying the views from his dream home that he and Ann designed and built.
Otto is survived by his wife Ann; sons, Philip (Chris), Kyle (Melissa), and Tim (Ann Marie); grandchildren, Ivan, Margaret, Ethan, Elizabeth, Connor, Irelyn and Ryan; siblings, Marilyn (Blaine) Wright, Esther (Bill) McGuire, Ernie (Bobbie) Rosfeld, Lowell Rosfeld and Rebecca Fischer.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Eda.
Funeral service for Otto Rosfeld, was held on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., at the Presbyterian Church in Valentine. The burial followed at Harmony Cemetery, north of Valentine. Memorials may be made to the Harmony Cemetery in his name.
Sandoz Chapel of the Pines in Valentine was entrusted with service arrangements.
