Phillip Breitling (from the German word for wide) was one of Kit Carson County's early settlers who spent most of his life moving.  Born in Beresoma, Bergan, S. Russia 16 March 1847 he was orphaned by the age of two.  His parents, Matthias Breitling (b. 1801 Boblinger, Wuettemberg) and Dorotheas Friedrich (b. 2 March 1805, Grienbach) were both deceased by 1850.  He was raised by his oldest sister in Bessarabia.  Settling in the community of Berson/Barsina, he was married to Carolina Strobel (b. 3 May 1849 Beresia, Bessarabia) on the 31 October 1868.  Her parents were Martin Strobel, (b. 4 August 1812) while migrating in the woods of present day Poland and Barbara Hahn born 5 October 1814 in Fadersbach.  In 1885 conditions became so difficult in Bessarabia that the Breitling family contacted relatives living near Scotland, South Dakota.  Arrangements were made and the oldest son, Johannes, was sent to America to earn money for the rest of the family to come to America.

    Phillip and Carolina immigrated on 18 June 1889, through the port of New York on the ship, Munchen.  Accompanied by 6 children and some of Carolinas younger brothers, they traveled in steerage, compartment #3 with 3 pieces of luggage.  "In the hold livestock was quartered at one end and people were at the other and sickness and death was common on this long trip, with buried at sea on most mornings." Upon arriving in New York they were out of funds.  Some food was given them by fellow travelers.  This was the only food they had during the long journey by train to South Dakota.

    After several months of travel, they arrived in Scotland, South Dakota joining a brother of Caroline's who was already there.  Upon arrival, Phillip returned to his trades of stone cutter and cobbler.  A few years passed with South Dakota not satisfying their expectations, so the family once again packed and moved to Colorado by covered wagon where relatives talked of abandoned homesteads available for farming.  Denver also promised employment for the elder son.  Johannes did find work in Denver but sadly he died there of diphtheria after drinking water from Cherry Creek.

     Arriving in the settlement area in 1893, Phillip hewed and laid the stones for the first Lutheran church in the German Lutheran settlement north of the present day Bethune.  He also laid up a stone house for his family home that is still standing near the site of the former post office of Yale.

     His stonework can also be seen in several other stone buildings in the area.  A drought in Kit Carson County and land for homesteading led them to move again in 1897 or 98 to Hazen, N.D. followed by another move to Nebraska in 1910 and a final move back to North Dakota in 1918.  He died in March of 1920.  His wife, Carolina married twice more, outliving all three husbands, passing away on February 26, 1931.  Phillip and Carolina had 13 children: Johannes 1869, Katherina Isaak 1871, Gotthilf 1874, Phillip 1876, Fredrich 1878-79, Christina Schlichenmayer 1881, Emanual 1884, Elizabeth 1887, Othilia 1889, Ardt 1890, Pauline Knell 1891, August 1893, Jacob 1895.