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Note: FRED H FRITZ Among the successful business men of Joliet, Ill., is Fred H Fritz, who is a leading sausage manufacturer. He was born in Reutte Baden, Germany, April 21, 1862, a son of Frank and Mary (Blume) Fritz. Both Frank Fritz and his wife were natives of Germany. He was engaged in the grocery business, conducted a small farm, and later engaged in the cafe and restaurant business. He was a prominent man in the community. Both he and his wife are buried in Reutte Baden. They were the parents of the following children: 1. John, deceased, buried in Germany. 2.Josephine, the widow of Benjamin Miller, lives at Norwalk, Ohio. 3. Matt, born April 22, 1850, at Reutte Baden, deceased, buried in Monroeville,Ohio. He came to the United States in 1870, first locating at Erie, Pa. Jan. 6, 1871, he removed to Monroeville, Ohio, where he married Miss Frances Frey, and became a well known citizen of that place. 4. Ida, deceased, buried in Zurich, Switzerland. 5. Donald, resides at Reutte Baden. 6. Helen, died in 1927, and is buried at Reutte Baden. 7. Joseph, deceased, buried at Lake Constance, Germany. 8. Anthony, lives at Monroeville, Ohio. 9 Elizabeth, lives at Reutte Baden. 10. Fred H., the subject of this sketch. Fred H Fritz attended the public schools in Germany and on Nov. 1, 1876 went to Zurich, Switzerland, to learn the meat business, where he worked for two and one-half years for his board. In 1882 he came to the United States, working for a short time in New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Ohio, Toledo, Cincinnati, and Chicago, where he worked at the meat trade. On Sept. 26, 1887 he came to Joliet and worked for Kiep Brothers five years. In 1892 he returned to Chicago, where he was manager of the Louis Lutz meat establishment, one of the largest markets in Chicago. He was a foreman at the Hammond Packing Company sausage department, Hammond, Ind., afterward returning to Kiep Brothers. He also worked for the JC Adler Company in Joliet. With John B. Stein as a partner they engaged in the sausage manufacturing business, which was the first of its kind in Joliet. He later sold his interest to Mr. Stein and engaged in business under his own name in the old Robinson Hall, on Joliet Street. This hall was burned in January, 1908, and Mr. Fritz located his business at 209 South Joliet Street, where he has conducted the sausage manufacture ever since. Mr. Fritz has the reputation of being the best sausage maker in the city of Joliet and also throughout the surrounding country. He is known throughout the United States as a leader in this industry. In 1895 Mr. Fritz was united in marriage with Miss Freda Schmid, a daughter of Joseph Schmid, a native of Tyrol, Austria. To Mr. and Mrs. Fritz three children have been born: Elsie, married Arthur Josephson, with the Nash Motor Company, Joliet; Stella, a graduate of St. John's Commercial School, stenographer and bookeeper for her father; and Alma, married Milton Wunderlich, lives in Joliet. Mr. Fritz is a Democrat and a member of St. John's German Catholic Church. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the BPO Elks, No. 296; Loyal Order of the Moose, No. 300; Modern Woodsmen of America; Catholic Order of Forresters; and the Joliet Rivals Club. The family residence is at 607 Buell Avenue. What do I remember about my Grandfather.....Well, he never, ever talked about the old country. I do know, but from my Mother, that he learned the meat business working at Oscar Meyer in Chicago. He was well respected in Joliet and very successful in the sausage business, until the war came. At that time there was a ceiling on what you could charge for a pound of meat (or in his case sausage) but there was no ceiling onthe raw materials that you had to buy to make the sausage. So, he operated in the red for a time but eventually had to close up shop. It was a sad day and I think he was pretty bitter. I lived with him from the time he was 72 or so until he died. He loved to listen to the baseball games, especially the Chicago Cubs. He also read the paper and kept up with current events. note: Fred H Fritz arrived aboard the SS France 21 Sep 1882. Immigration: HERMAN FRITZ Occupation Laborer Age 20 Sex M Literacy U Arrived 1882-09-21 Origin Switzerland Port Havre Last Residence U Destination NEW YORK Plan Unknown Ship France Passage Unknown
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