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Jacob S. Fritz was born about 1846, in Ohio according to census. He was the son of John Fritz and Minerva (last name unknown).
Jacob's family moved from Ohio to Keokuk County, Iowa about 1855. Jacob appeared on the 1860 Keokuk County census with his family. He was listed as 14 years of age on the census.
Then came the Civil War to tear the nation apart. As soon as Jacob and his brother Daniel became old enough (or could lie about their age convincingly enough), nothing would do but they join in the fighting. On February 27, 1864, both Jacob and his younger brother Daniel Fritz joined the Union Army at Muscatine, Iowa. They enlisted in Company I, 40th Infantry Regiment Iowa. Jacob was fortunate and survived the war. He was mustered out on August 2, 1865, at Fort Gibson, Connecticut. His brother Daniel was not so fortunate. He "died of disease" on October 20, 1864, at Richland, Iowa. (Daniel probably died of dysentery, which killed many soldiers during the Civil War.)
After the war, we lost track of Jacob for a time. He appeared again on the 1880 Lake County, Colorado census. He was listed as 34, single, and a miner. He and his partner, 37 year old John W. Shook, were living in a mining camp and panning for gold in the Colorado mountains.
Jacob married Margaret J. (last name unknown) about 1892, probably in Colorado. Margaret was born August 1845, in Illinois according to census. She had been married prior to her marriage to Jacob and had two children born from that marriage.
The 1900 Teller County, Colorado census shows the family living on Spicer Avenue in the City of Victor. The census shows Jacob S. Fritz, born January 1847, 53 years old, married for 8 years, a letter carrier who owned his house and Margaret J., his wife, born August 1845, 54 years old, married for 8 years, had given birth to 2 children, 1 child was still living.
Margaret died prior to 1910, in Colorado. The 1910 Denver County, Colorado census, City of Denver, shows Jacob S. Fritz, a guest, 64, widowed, a laborer at odd jobs. He was listed with a great number of other lodgers and guests living in the rooming and boarding houses in Denver.