Phillip Amann was born on August 20, 1889 in Karlsone in southern Russia. He was one of nine children born to Phillip and Kathryn (Hapfauf) Amann, whose ancestors had migrated to the area from Germany three generations earlier. Phillip Amann was raised as an orphan from the age of thirteen on when his father passed away, his mother passed earlier on. His education was limited because he was raised by his uncles whom he lived with and worked on their farms. Phillip could read and write in German and spoke three other languages, Russian, Polish, and Bohemian, later learning English once he migrated to the USA. When Phillip was twenty-one he was drafted into the Russian army, serving two and a half years. Part of his tour of duty was spent in guarding military and political prisoners near the Siberian and Manchuria border.

In 1914, Phillip and his youngest brother Nickolas tried to board a ship at Bremen, Germany bound for Quebec, but Nickolas was refused entry because of an eye disease. Phillip then left on his own and migrated to an area near Weyburn, Saskatchewan where his sister (Justina) and brother in-law (Nick Geiger) lived. After working on farms and ranches for two years he decided to migrate to the United States to Jamestown, ND where his brother Sebastian worked as an engineer on the Northern Pacific Railroad. After working at odd jobs in the Jamestown area, he became dissatisfied and thought that if he knew the language better he could improve his position and situation so he went to the Assumption Abbey at Richardton where he spent the winter learning the English language.

During Phillip’s stay at the Richardton Abbey, he met Julia Thomas, daughter of Jacob and Genevieve Thomas and they married on February 20, 1917.

Julia Thomas (Amann) was one of seven children born to Jacob and Genevieve Thomas. Growing up she attended Richardton parochial schools and was active in the community and church related activities including the St. Mary’s church Choir. After marrying Phillip, they moved to the Welstein farm nine miles north of Richardton, where they rented a crop share basis for 25 years and where all seven of their children were born. In 1943 they purchased a farm 12 miles northwest of Richardton where they lived until Phillip died, May 20, 1956 at the age of 66. After the death of her husband, Julia Amann moved to an apartment over the farmers State Bank of Richardton where she lived until she died in May of 1975.