 Jim, Irene and their two children boarded a train in New York City for their trip nearly halfway across the American continent to Lincoln, Nebraska. On the second night on the train, Jim went to the lounge for a soft drink. An American tried to strike up a conversation with him. When he realized that Jim could not understand English, he switched to Polish. Come with me the man said, inviting Jim to sit down on a comfortable couch and have a highball with him. Another passenger spoke to Jim in German, and through the "interpreters" other train riders joined in the celebration. Jim went to his railcar and returned with his accordion. He played far into the night. The next morning when he awakened he was sitting in his seat next to his wife Irene. It was almost noon. He went to retrieve his accordion from the porter in the dining car.
Shortly after noon on
March 3, 1952, Jim and Irene set foot on Nebraska soil in Lincoln with
their two children at the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad depot. |
May 15,
1925 - September 9, 2002
In Memory Of Jim W. Fras
Life in Nebraska - page
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It is interesting to note that Jim
had this unique quality of being able to
communicate with people - and in several different languages. Above all he
could always rely on his universal language of music - where he was
never misunderstood. No one had to speak at all once he started playing
his prized accordion. On this train trip he
just played and played and played until all were too exhausted to listen
or celebrate or play any longer. Those moments of audience appreciation were the
times which seemed to bring him his most inner peace.
What was then known as the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Rail
station, today is simply called the Lincoln Station (below left picture
from the early 1950s) - located near the Haymarket section of the
Capital City.
To the right is a colorized picture of the Nebraska Zephyr which made daily connections from
Chicago to Lincoln. It is thought that several rail connections from New York eventually connected to this train in Chicago and brought the Fras family to Lincoln Nebraska. These days the Nebraska Zephyr remains the only such train preserved in its entirety and occasionally logs track miles while based at the Illinois Railway Museum.
To the right is a colorized picture of the Nebraska Zephyr which made daily connections from
Chicago to Lincoln. It is thought that several rail connections from New York eventually connected to this train in Chicago and brought the Fras family to Lincoln Nebraska. These days the Nebraska Zephyr remains the only such train preserved in its entirety and occasionally logs track miles while based at the Illinois Railway Museum.
After reaching America at New York harbor via the USS General
Taylor passenger ship, Jim and his family's journey culminated by rail
in Lincoln Nebraska on March 3, 1952.