During one of his jobs, in 1913 or 1914, as a steward on a passenger liner sailing from Breman, Germany to America, he met a lovely dark-eyed beauty from Johannesfeld, Austria/Hungary - and it was love at first sight! Grandpa was about nineteen or twenty years old at the time, and that lovely young girl was Mary Heib, traveling to America to be with her sister in Chicago.
While on the ship, Grandpa was quite taken with the young and beautiful Ms. Heib. Grandma would later tell us that Grandpa gave her fresh fruit every day and was very attentive to her on the entire trip.
When the ship docked in New York City near Ellis Island, the immigrant passengers and the ship's crew (including Grandpa) left the ship, but Grandpa never returned.to his post for the trip back to Germany. At that time, this was called "jumping ship".
And nor did Grandma see Grandpa again that day. At Ellis Island they parted, and went their separate ways...
Frank Fischer in 1916
Mary Heib in 1915