He came to America from Mecklenburg, Germany with his parents and older brothers (Otto, Wilhelm and Karl), probably to escape the political turmoil. The family departed from Hamburg, Germany and arrived in Galveston, Texas on December 21, 1850 aboard the ship "Brig John Frederick". They stayed for a short period in Houston, Texas. During that period his mother Juliane died in what was probably a wagon accident, when the horses got spooked. His brother Otto was killed in hunting accident the following year.

Afterwards, Fritz, his father and his two remaining brothers settled in the area near Cat Springs and Industry, Texas. His uncle (Carl Adolf Fuchs) had moved nearby, in 1846. However, in 1853 his uncle moved to a large land grant that they had received in Marble Falls. Fritz, his dad and his two brothers remained in the Cat Springs area, where they farmed. Many other German immigrants lived in the community. Wilhelm got married in 1859, and Karl got married in 1860. However, in April 1861, the Civil War broke out. Soon, the three sons were all enlisted in the Confederate Army.

Fritz served as a scout and hunter during the Civil War. His brothers probably did the same. His brother Wilhelm was accidentally killed in 1862, by a friend while on a hunting excursion. Fritz's father died in 1864, just before the end of the Civil War. Shortly after the war, Fritz moved to Cypress Mill, Texas. His cousin Wilhelm George Fuchs owned a saw and gristmill in the town, and his uncle and other cousins lived nearby in Marble Falls. This is probably where he met Theodora Hoppe. They got married on March 25, 1869 in nearby Burnet County, Texas.

In 1870, the couple bought some land in Cypress Mill using money left to them by their parents. Fritz had inherited half of his father's estate. In 1874, they sold the property in Cypress Mill and bought some property nearby on the Pedernales River (across from the current Pedernales State Park). Sometime around 1875, Fritz shot himself in the little finger when he reached over the fence to get his gun while he was out hunting. In 1878, he built a rock house on the property. The family is standing on the doorstep in one of the photos. The couple slowly acquired more land until they eventually owned a 5000-acre sheep ranch.

In January 1880, he, Anton Goebel and George Hoppe traveled to Galveston. Fritz and Anton then sailed to Florida on a ship. In 1889, he took his two oldest daughters to Galveston for the centennial celebration. He sold the ranch in 1908 (at 68 years old) to George Lester. Afterwards, he and Theodora moved to Abernathy, Texas near his daughters, Anna and Olga. They had moved there with their Struve in-laws. Most of their daughters moved there as well. It is thought that he gave them all some land.

Fritz always felt most at home, out camping in the woods, and spent much of his time out alone enjoying the beauties of nature. He was very good at locating bee hives. This may have been because of the time he spent as a hunter and scout during the war. Nevertheless, the flat sparse landscape of West Texas left him homesick for the Texas Hill Country until his death.