The current issue of the Nebraska Life Magazine contains a story on Jim Fras, composer of Beautiful Nebraska, the State song. Photographer Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston gives his visual interpretation of the lyrics of our state song with pictures. The last verse of the lyrics makes the connection:
"Beautiful Nebraska, as you look around,you will see a rainbow reaching to the ground:
All these wonders by the Master's hand.
Beautiful Nebraska Land."
Jim Fras, his wife and 2 sons, immigrated to Lincoln in 1952. He was born in the Soviet Union of wealthy parents but was still a toddler when Stalin's forces killed his father, confiscated the family's land and forced the family to another Russian town. He was a teenager when Nazi Germany invaded his homeland during WWII. His Mother and family were sent to Germany as slave-laborers. He remained in Germany after the war but his mother and sisters were forced to return to Russia. Jim spent 6 years in a post-war refugee camp where he met and married Irene Horek, a Polish refugee with whom they had two sons.
The Fras family had some hard times during their early years in Lincoln but turned things around as Irene worked at Russell Stover candy factory and Jim played music at the Lincoln AFB officers club and elsewhere. When Jim heard of the contest for a State Song, he entered his ode to his adopted state. While he won the contest, it wasn't until 7 years later that the Legislature finally selected "Beautiful Nebraska as our state song. Jim Fras died in 2002 but his musical gift to Nebraska lives on.
Elaine and I first met Jim when Walt Beckman brought him out to a Garland High Alumni reunion to provide the musical entertainment where he played Beautiful Nebraska on an accordion and sang. Some years later while we were in Washington, D.C. he again played his accordion and sang the song for a meeting of the "Nebraska Society" in the District.
Greetings...I'm working on a small slide show to tell the rest of the story regarding the state song. My dad was Dr. Robert Manley and I remember distinctly attending a gathering at a now defunct restaurant near 27th and Havelock where Mr. Fras performed his song. I was also there when he asked Dad if he would sing the song in his history programs as he traveled throughout the state. Dad did and the rest is history. The day "Beautiful Nebraska" became the state song, Dad was there with Mr. Fras at the Capitol ceremony. Years later, as Mr. Fras was dying, he wrote a letter to my dad thanking for promoting his song. Unfortunately...I had the letter and put it in a place I wouldn't forget. After years of looking for that place, I've given up. I can't find it and there is no other copy around that I know of...But...regardless...I remember the letter and his thanking Dad for all he did for "Beautiful Nebraska".
ReplyDeleteI also would like to use the picture you have on this site for my little whiteboard thing. If there's a problem using it...you can find me on Facebook...Bob Manley Mesa AZ
Thanks so much.