Jayne Marie Vairma

Jayne Marie Vairma of New Richland passed away peacefully at her home on May 17th, 2023 with her best friend and husband, Brian Douglas Vairma, giving comfort and care as Jayne went to meet her Heavenly Father after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer.

Jayne was born December 27, 1962, in Anchorage, Alaska, to parents Ruth (Hatle) and Lyle Strand. Jayne, the youngest of three children, moved to Minnesota and was raised in the New Richland/Albert Lea area alongside her older brothers Lynn and Terry Strand. Jayne graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1982 after blazing new trails in softball and one of the very first girl hockey teams to play in the community. Her adult softball team went on to compete in the DNR Nationals. It was her love of sports that her husband, Brian, said made her a fierce competitor. After graduating, Jayne went on to receive a certification in Food and Lab Safety through Riverland.

In the mid ’90s Jayne met and fell in love with Brian Vairma; the two were married in Austin, MN on December 17, 1998. Together her and Brian brought up Jayne’s daughter, Ami Marie Porter. Jayne and Brian were near inseparable. In their 25 years of marriage they hardly spent a day apart; even when at work the two would call each other on their breaks to chat about their day so far. Jayne did not travel much in her early years; it was Brian that sparked in her a love of travel. Her favorite place to visit was Niagara Falls and, if she was in Jamestown, New York, she had to visit the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum.

In her free time, you could find Jayne crafting; creating many crochet and quilt pieces for her loved ones and charity, watching the Gameshow Network, or enjoying sports television with her service dog and best boy, Doug the Catahoula Leopard. She had a great sense of humor and was always ready with a wisecrack, especially when her march madness bracket beat Brian’s time after time. As Jayne raised her daughter Ami, her competitive nature never left her as the two had a love for Super Mario Brothers and had a long-standing competition with each other. At family game night she’ll always be remembered for being a good sportsman when she lost, but a terrible winner.

Jayne is proceeded in death by her parents, Lyle and Ruth Strand, with whom she had a very close mother-daughter relationship; and grandparents, Arthur and Ella Strand and Gerhardt and Clara Hatle,

She is survived by her husband, Brian Douglas Vairma of New Richland; daughter Ami Marie Garduno (Dustin) of New Richland; step-children Christopher Vairma of Virginia/Australia and Yvonne Elassad (Chris) of New Jersey; grandchildren Porter Garduno, Carli Garduno, Freya Elassad, and Sonja Elassad; brothers Lynn Strand (Nancy) and Terry Strand; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Jayne will always be remembered for being a wonderful, funny, adventurous, and artistic woman.

Private family Luncheon to be announced at a later date.