Fritz graduated from Rice Lake High School in 1935, where he excelled in football, basketball and track. In football he was a down lineman on bothsides of the line and in basketball he was a two-year letterman at guard, helping the Lakers to the Ho’N Conference Championship as a junior. In addition, as a senior, Fritz was Rice Lake High School’s intra-mural 155 lb. boxing champion. He then went on to St. John’s University where he excelled in football and track. In football as a senior in 1938, he was co-captain of the “Johnnies” MIAC undefeated conference champion team at 5-0 and 6-2 all. At 6’ and 180 lbs., Fritz was named to the All-Conference Team at left end and the Little All-American Football Team. In 1937 he was second team All-Conference. While at St. John’s, Fritz helped lead the football team to a 21-7-1 All. As a two year letterman in track, he set records for St. John’s in the high jump at 5’ 10”, the pole vault at 11’, which stood for 14 years, and in the broad jump at 21’ 11” which stood for 20 years. Fritz graduated from St. John’s in 1939 and then served in the Army during WWII from 1941 to 1945 where he was seriously wounded in Germany in January of 1945. In 1948, he was appointed Rice Lake Postmaster, a position he held for 33 years, longer than any postmaster before or since. A long time civic leader at the state and local levels, Francis Schneider passed away in 1999 at the age of 82.