Nellie Irene Ourant, 90, of Freeport, died peacefully in her sleep at home Tuesday, March 9, 2010. Born Aug. 4, 1919 in Londonderry Township, Guernsey County, Ohio, she was a daughter of the late James Earl Smith and Clara Madge Hunt Smith. Nellie was honored at the Freeport 200th Anniversary celebration on March 7, 2010 as the oldest resident of Freeport. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by three sisters: Hazel Harding, Clara Phillips, Hilda Brokaw; two son-in-laws, Leonard G. Mehalko and Ronald Jones; two nephews: George Harding and Roger Harding; her ex-husband and father of her children, James D. Ourant; and her best friend and companion, Earl J. Mallernee. Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 12, 2010 in Koch Funeral Home, Freeport, with Rev. Dalton Hinds and Rev. Doug Mallernee officiating. Burial will follow in Greenmont Union Cemetery, Freeport. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 11, in the funeral home. The full obituary will be published in the next edition of the Harrison News-Herald.
