The McCleary family originated with John McCleary, born in Ireland, and his son John McCleary born in 1767 in Sewickley, PA, married to Margaret Glenn in Lancaster Co, PA, and their descendents. Both are buried in the McCleary Bluff Cemetery east of Keensburg, IL. 
Malinda was the daughter of James Franklin McCleary and Angeline Lovelette Langlois-Degan.
Malinda had to raise her family on her own after the early death of her husband on May 2, 1890. The oldest of her children, John, was only eleven years old at the time. She and the children would do whatever odd chores that they could in order to make a living, such as raising chickens and selling the eggs and chickens, or picking up kindling sticks to bundle and sell.
Five years after David’s death, Malinda gave birth to Fred Herschel “Wells” on 23 Aug 1895. She never said who the father was, and apparently took that bit of information with her to the grave. She is listed as "Milanda" (Nov 1860, IL) and head of household in Mt Erie in 1900 with all 6 of her children.
Her son Charley (26) was with her (52) in the 1910 census along with her daughter Lizzie (21) and Lizzie’s 3 year old son William Pearl “Pearly”, plus her other son Fred (15).
During WWI Malinda and her son Fred moved to the Streator, Illinois area and worked on a farm for a colored couple by the name of Ward. Later they moved back to the Mt. Erie, Illinois area. Malinda then moved to the first house north of the Wynoose School (now community building). She always had a milk cow and chickens.
In 1920 living in Decker Twp of Richland County is Milinda (64), daughter Mary Elizabeth (30) and grandson Pearl (13).
When her son William had a home of his own, Malinda came to stay with him and his family. She stayed in a bedroom on the main floor just off the living room where the "pot belly" stove, used to heat the house, was located. Her son and his wife slept in the center bedroom at the top of the stairs, her grandsons slept in a bedroom above the kitchen, and her granddaughter's bedroom was located above her room.
Because she had such bad arthritis, knees swollen to two or three times their normal size, her son had to modify the chair that she used to sit in. He made it to a height that allowed her to simply back into it with a minimum of bending her knees. Her granddaughter, Jessie, said that sometimes she would sleep with her grandmother and that she had to lie nearly perfectly still because at the slightest touch of the arthritic joint, her grandmother would cringe and recoil from the pain.
Malinda died at the home of her son, William T. Wells on Dec. 18, 1941. She and her daughter, Elizabeth are buried beside each other in the Scott Cemetery at Mt. Erie, IL.
[Obituary] from her G grandson, Jay Wells
Malinda Justine McCleary, daughter of James and Angeline McCleary, born in Wayne County, Illinois November 14, 1855 and departed this life December 18, 1941, in Richland County at the home of her son, William Wells.
She was married to David Allen Wells October 18, 1877, and to this union six children were born. Her husband departed this life May 2, 1890, also two children preceded her in death, Mary Elizabeth January 15, 1920 and Charles David April 30, 1938.
She leaves to mourn her departure four children, John of Varna, Illinois, William of Noble, Illinois, Mrs. Mamie Butler of Kankakee, Illinois, and Fred Wells of Mt. Erie, Illinois; two brothers, John of Fairfield, Illinois, and Gus of Oxley, Missouri; and one sister Mrs. Julia Taylor of Casper, Wyoming, besides twenty nine grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren and a host of relatives and friends.
[Obituary] Olney Advocate (IL) - 25 Dec 1941
Mrs. Malinda Wells, 86 the widow of David A. Wells, died Thursday night at the home of her son William T. Wells, in Decker township.
Mrs. Wells had lived in Decker township for the past twenty years, formerly residing in Mt. Erie community.
She is survived by three sons, William T. Wells of Decker township, John wells of Varna and Fred Wells of Mt. Erie; a daughter, Mrs. Mamie Butler of Kankakee; two brothers, John McCleary of Fairfield and Gus McCleary of Donovan, Mo.; and a sister, Mrs. Julia Taylor of Casper, Wyo. Also surviving are 29 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
The body was removed to the Porter-Schaub Funeral Home and services were held Sunday at the Mt. Erie Methodist Church with burial in Scott Cemetery.