DO NOT MERGE THIS MEMORIAL WITH ANY OTHER MEMORIAL. IT IS NOT A DUPLICATE OF ANY OTHER MEMORIAL.

***Her remains are here, in The Maggard Cemetery (under a fake gravestone with another woman's name on it), but her gravestone is in The Memory Hill Cemetery. Please click here: Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back gravestone***

***Modern-day researchers refer to her maiden name as being "Hoffman-Maggard," because she was born with the last name of Hoffman, but she was adopted by the Maggard family, after both of her parents had died.***

Shortly before Elizabeth died, in 1826, she had told people that she wanted to be buried beside a certain tree, near the Poor Fork of the Cumberland River, which was just a short distance from her cabin along Collier's Creek. And so she was.

A small gravestone was placed on her grave. A cemetery was later created, around her grave. It was named "The Maggard Cemetery," because of Elizabeth's close connection to the Maggard family: Samuel Maggard (1716-1778), a neighbor, had adopted her, in 1771, after her parents had died; her sister Mary was adopted by Samuel's brother, David Maggard (1718-1775); her son John's best friend was Samuel Maggard (1774-1855), a grandson of Samuel Maggard (1716-1778); and her son Henry had married Susannah Maggard, a great granddaughter of Samuel Maggard (1716-1778).

Her small gravestone stood in The Maggard Cemetery for about 85 years. Everyone knew who she was, because she was the matriarch of the Back (Bach) family in southeastern Kentucky. She and her husband Joseph Back (the patriarch of the family) had founded the Back (Bach) family in southeastern Kentucky, in 1791, and so, all people with the last name of Back, or Bach, whose ancestors came from southeastern Kentucky, descend from them, through one of their children. Everyone in the Back (Bach) family in southeastern Kentucky knew that. And everyone in the family also knew the actual genealogy of their family as well (what is shown here, on FindAGrave).

Around 1922, Dr. Wilgus Bach, who was researching and documenting the genealogy of the Back (Bach) family, in southeastern Kentucky, found her small gravestone in The Maggard Cemetery. He decided to honor her by creating a larger gravestone with more information on it.

Unfortunately, Dr. Bach made two errors in the inscription. First, he had her date of birth as July 13, 1746, because that was the date of birth that he had seen in the old Bach Family Bible for a woman named Elizabeth Back. He thought that was THIS woman, Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, who was the wife of Joseph Back. However, July 13, 1746 was actually the date of birth for another woman named Elizabeth Back, who was her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Hoffman Back, who was the wife of Henry Back (1740-1809), who was her husband Joseph Back's brother.

The second error that Dr. Bach made was that he had her place of birth as Thuringia, Germany, because he had seen a handwritten statement in the old Bach Family Bible that said, "We came from Thuringia." However, that statement was referring to Joseph Back's parents, who were from Thuringia, and who had immigrated to America in 1740, and settled in Virginia. Joseph Back's father had bought that old Bible, in 1762, and he had written that statement in the Bible. Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, and her husband Joseph Back, were actually both born in Virginia.

The gravestone that Dr. Bach had created for Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back stood in The Maggard Cemetery, for 66 years. But, in the fall of 1988, some members of "The Back-Bach Genealogical Society" pulled it out of the ground and threw it over the hill. They then erected another gravestone, over the remains of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, which was meant to describe Elizabeth Hoffman Back, the wife of Henry Back (1740-1809). They did that, in order to "prove" the fraudulent genealogy that they would later sell, in a big, orange book, in 1994.

Their fraudulent genealogy claimed that the Back (Bach) family from southeastern Kentucky descended from Harman Back (who was from Freudenberg, Germany), through his alleged son Henry Back (1740-1809), and that, after Henry died, his widow Elizabeth Hoffman Back moved to southeastern Kentucky and founded the family there, with her alleged children: John Back (1774-1853); Henry Back (1785-1871); and Mary Back (1777-1807). But all of that was 100% incorrect, and the people who made up that story actually knew that it was incorrect.

First of all, Harman Back never had a son named Henry Back. Harman Back only had one son, which was Harman Back Jr. This has been conclusively proven by numerous Board-Certified Genealogists, including those at DAR (The Daughters of the American Revolution). Both Harman Back (1708-1789) and Henry Back (1740-1809) are listed in the DAR Ancestor database. This is because Harman furnished supplies to the soldiers, in the war, and Henry's name was on a list of soldiers. You can visit the DAR website and see that they clearly state that Harman Back never had a son named Henry Back, and that Henry Back never had sons John Back (1774-1853), who married Catherine Robertson; or Henry Back (1785-1871), who married Susannah Maggard.

Second, it has been easily documented that Elizabeth Hoffman Back, the wife of Henry Back (1740-1809), never went to Kentucky. After her husband Henry died, she moved to Rockingham County, Virginia, to live next to her widowed sister Margaret Hoffman Back, whose husband John Back had died, back in 1794. (John Back was a brother to Henry Back.) Elizabeth Hoffman Back was seen in the 1810 Census Report, living in Rockingham County, Virginia with her son Aaron and her two daughters. She was also listed in the Tax Lists in Rockingham County, from 1810 through 1815, living on 50 acres. She died in Rockingham County, in 1815. She never went to Kentucky. Her son Aaron sold her 50 acres of land in 1816. That land deed documented that Aaron had bought that 50 acres for her, back in 1809, and that it was adjacent to the 50 acres that her sister Margaret Hoffman Back had bought and lived on.

There is a massive amount of documented evidence that Elizabeth Hoffman Back never went to Kentucky, and that she is not buried in The Maggard Cemetery. The gravestone that is in The Maggard Cemetery for Elizabeth Hoffman Back is fake; she is not buried there. But the remains of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back are underneath that fake gravestone. It is truly a tragedy.

After Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back's gravestone was thrown over the hill, in 1988, it was soon retrieved by Wardie Craft and his wife Hazel Back Craft, who took it back to their home, which was a museum called "Memory Hill." They put it in "The Memory Hill Cemetery," which was behind their house. Shortly after that, some people from "The Back-Bach Genealogical Society," who were furious that the gravestone had been retrieved, and saved, went to Memory Hill and they had the word "INCORRECT" carved along the bottom of the gravestone. Her gravestone is probably still at The Memory Hill Cemetery (see the link above).
*********************************

Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back's parents were Nicholaus Hoffman and Barbara Elisabeth Koestnerin. Elizabeth was born in what was then Augusta County, Virginia. It is now Rockingham County, Virginia. Both of her parents died in 1770, and so, in 1771, she was adopted by Samuel Maggard (1716-1778). Samuel was a neighbor. He was the son of Hans Maggard, who was the immigrant in his family. Samuel had a brother named David Maggard (1718-1775), who adopted Elizabeth's sister Mary.

This has been documented in many records. The book covering Samuel Maggard is titled, "Coming Down Cumberland" (written by V.N. "Bud" Phillips). The book covering David Maggard is titled, "Hans Maggard's Other Son: A History and Genealogy of the David Maggard Family" (written by Mary Kay Hushman Lavezzari).

A copy of the document for Elizabeth's adoption (actually called, "an apprenticeship") is posted on this memorial. When Elizabeth finished her apprenticeship, Samuel gave her a spinning wheel.

Elizabeth married Joseph Back, around 1773, and she took that spinning wheel with her. Several years later, when they migrated to southeastern Kentucky, they took that spinning wheel with them. It is now on display at the Breathitt County Museum, in Jackson. (It is the small spinning wheel.)

Joseph and Elizabeth had at least four children:

1. Joseph Jr. (born about 1773) who married a woman whose last name may have been Hoffman, but her first name is not known. Joseph Jr. was murdered in 1802, supposedly by members of the Ford family (according to Dr. Wilgus Bach). He had a son named Joseph, who married a woman named Sarah.

2. John (born Nov. 19, 1774) who married Catherine Robertson.

3. Mary (born Nov. 1, 1777) who gave birth to a son (out of wedlock), who she named Alfred Back, but then she died, a few weeks later.

4. Henry (born Feb. 6, 1785) who married Susannah Maggard.

Summary:The illegal removal of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back's gravestone from this cemetery was documented in an article written by Custer Back, who was one of the men who removed it, in the October, 1988 edition of the "Filson Club History Quarterly." His article described the fraudulent genealogy of "The Back-Bach Genealogical Society," and he actually bragged about what he and his cousins did. (You can find this article online.)

The remains of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back (wife of Joseph Back) are in The Maggard Cemetery, under that fake gravestone that "The Back-Bach Genealogical Society" had erected in 1988, describing her sister-in-law Elizabeth Hoffman (wife of Henry Back). However, the remains of Elizabeth Hoffman Back (wife of Henry Back), and the daughter of John Hoffman and Maria Sabina Folg, are in Rockingham County, Virginia somewhere, perhaps in The Elk Run Cemetery.

The precious remains of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, in The Maggard Cemetery, have been grossly disrespected since 1988. Perhaps someday, someone will rectify this tragedy. She should have a gravestone over her remains that describes HER, and not her sister-in-law.

All of this information has been well-documented, many times, in numerous sources. Hazel Back Craft told me all about this, in great detail.

DO NOT MERGE THIS MEMORIAL WITH ANY OTHER MEMORIAL. IT IS NOT A DUPLICATE OF ANY OTHER MEMORIAL.

***Her remains are here, in The Maggard Cemetery (under a fake gravestone with another woman's name on it), but her gravestone is in The Memory Hill Cemetery. Please click here: Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back gravestone***

***Modern-day researchers refer to her maiden name as being "Hoffman-Maggard," because she was born with the last name of Hoffman, but she was adopted by the Maggard family, after both of her parents had died.***

Shortly before Elizabeth died, in 1826, she had told people that she wanted to be buried beside a certain tree, near the Poor Fork of the Cumberland River, which was just a short distance from her cabin along Collier's Creek. And so she was.

A small gravestone was placed on her grave. A cemetery was later created, around her grave. It was named "The Maggard Cemetery," because of Elizabeth's close connection to the Maggard family: Samuel Maggard (1716-1778), a neighbor, had adopted her, in 1771, after her parents had died; her sister Mary was adopted by Samuel's brother, David Maggard (1718-1775); her son John's best friend was Samuel Maggard (1774-1855), a grandson of Samuel Maggard (1716-1778); and her son Henry had married Susannah Maggard, a great granddaughter of Samuel Maggard (1716-1778).

Her small gravestone stood in The Maggard Cemetery for about 85 years. Everyone knew who she was, because she was the matriarch of the Back (Bach) family in southeastern Kentucky. She and her husband Joseph Back (the patriarch of the family) had founded the Back (Bach) family in southeastern Kentucky, in 1791, and so, all people with the last name of Back, or Bach, whose ancestors came from southeastern Kentucky, descend from them, through one of their children. Everyone in the Back (Bach) family in southeastern Kentucky knew that. And everyone in the family also knew the actual genealogy of their family as well (what is shown here, on FindAGrave).

Around 1922, Dr. Wilgus Bach, who was researching and documenting the genealogy of the Back (Bach) family, in southeastern Kentucky, found her small gravestone in The Maggard Cemetery. He decided to honor her by creating a larger gravestone with more information on it.

Unfortunately, Dr. Bach made two errors in the inscription. First, he had her date of birth as July 13, 1746, because that was the date of birth that he had seen in the old Bach Family Bible for a woman named Elizabeth Back. He thought that was THIS woman, Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, who was the wife of Joseph Back. However, July 13, 1746 was actually the date of birth for another woman named Elizabeth Back, who was her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Hoffman Back, who was the wife of Henry Back (1740-1809), who was her husband Joseph Back's brother.

The second error that Dr. Bach made was that he had her place of birth as Thuringia, Germany, because he had seen a handwritten statement in the old Bach Family Bible that said, "We came from Thuringia." However, that statement was referring to Joseph Back's parents, who were from Thuringia, and who had immigrated to America in 1740, and settled in Virginia. Joseph Back's father had bought that old Bible, in 1762, and he had written that statement in the Bible. Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, and her husband Joseph Back, were actually both born in Virginia.

The gravestone that Dr. Bach had created for Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back stood in The Maggard Cemetery, for 66 years. But, in the fall of 1988, some members of "The Back-Bach Genealogical Society" pulled it out of the ground and threw it over the hill. They then erected another gravestone, over the remains of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, which was meant to describe Elizabeth Hoffman Back, the wife of Henry Back (1740-1809). They did that, in order to "prove" the fraudulent genealogy that they would later sell, in a big, orange book, in 1994.

Their fraudulent genealogy claimed that the Back (Bach) family from southeastern Kentucky descended from Harman Back (who was from Freudenberg, Germany), through his alleged son Henry Back (1740-1809), and that, after Henry died, his widow Elizabeth Hoffman Back moved to southeastern Kentucky and founded the family there, with her alleged children: John Back (1774-1853); Henry Back (1785-1871); and Mary Back (1777-1807). But all of that was 100% incorrect, and the people who made up that story actually knew that it was incorrect.

First of all, Harman Back never had a son named Henry Back. Harman Back only had one son, which was Harman Back Jr. This has been conclusively proven by numerous Board-Certified Genealogists, including those at DAR (The Daughters of the American Revolution). Both Harman Back (1708-1789) and Henry Back (1740-1809) are listed in the DAR Ancestor database. This is because Harman furnished supplies to the soldiers, in the war, and Henry's name was on a list of soldiers. You can visit the DAR website and see that they clearly state that Harman Back never had a son named Henry Back, and that Henry Back never had sons John Back (1774-1853), who married Catherine Robertson; or Henry Back (1785-1871), who married Susannah Maggard.

Second, it has been easily documented that Elizabeth Hoffman Back, the wife of Henry Back (1740-1809), never went to Kentucky. After her husband Henry died, she moved to Rockingham County, Virginia, to live next to her widowed sister Margaret Hoffman Back, whose husband John Back had died, back in 1794. (John Back was a brother to Henry Back.) Elizabeth Hoffman Back was seen in the 1810 Census Report, living in Rockingham County, Virginia with her son Aaron and her two daughters. She was also listed in the Tax Lists in Rockingham County, from 1810 through 1815, living on 50 acres. She died in Rockingham County, in 1815. She never went to Kentucky. Her son Aaron sold her 50 acres of land in 1816. That land deed documented that Aaron had bought that 50 acres for her, back in 1809, and that it was adjacent to the 50 acres that her sister Margaret Hoffman Back had bought and lived on.

There is a massive amount of documented evidence that Elizabeth Hoffman Back never went to Kentucky, and that she is not buried in The Maggard Cemetery. The gravestone that is in The Maggard Cemetery for Elizabeth Hoffman Back is fake; she is not buried there. But the remains of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back are underneath that fake gravestone. It is truly a tragedy.

After Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back's gravestone was thrown over the hill, in 1988, it was soon retrieved by Wardie Craft and his wife Hazel Back Craft, who took it back to their home, which was a museum called "Memory Hill." They put it in "The Memory Hill Cemetery," which was behind their house. Shortly after that, some people from "The Back-Bach Genealogical Society," who were furious that the gravestone had been retrieved, and saved, went to Memory Hill and they had the word "INCORRECT" carved along the bottom of the gravestone. Her gravestone is probably still at The Memory Hill Cemetery (see the link above).
*********************************

Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back's parents were Nicholaus Hoffman and Barbara Elisabeth Koestnerin. Elizabeth was born in what was then Augusta County, Virginia. It is now Rockingham County, Virginia. Both of her parents died in 1770, and so, in 1771, she was adopted by Samuel Maggard (1716-1778). Samuel was a neighbor. He was the son of Hans Maggard, who was the immigrant in his family. Samuel had a brother named David Maggard (1718-1775), who adopted Elizabeth's sister Mary.

This has been documented in many records. The book covering Samuel Maggard is titled, "Coming Down Cumberland" (written by V.N. "Bud" Phillips). The book covering David Maggard is titled, "Hans Maggard's Other Son: A History and Genealogy of the David Maggard Family" (written by Mary Kay Hushman Lavezzari).

A copy of the document for Elizabeth's adoption (actually called, "an apprenticeship") is posted on this memorial. When Elizabeth finished her apprenticeship, Samuel gave her a spinning wheel.

Elizabeth married Joseph Back, around 1773, and she took that spinning wheel with her. Several years later, when they migrated to southeastern Kentucky, they took that spinning wheel with them. It is now on display at the Breathitt County Museum, in Jackson. (It is the small spinning wheel.)

Joseph and Elizabeth had at least four children:

1. Joseph Jr. (born about 1773) who married a woman whose last name may have been Hoffman, but her first name is not known. Joseph Jr. was murdered in 1802, supposedly by members of the Ford family (according to Dr. Wilgus Bach). He had a son named Joseph, who married a woman named Sarah.

2. John (born Nov. 19, 1774) who married Catherine Robertson.

3. Mary (born Nov. 1, 1777) who gave birth to a son (out of wedlock), who she named Alfred Back, but then she died, a few weeks later.

4. Henry (born Feb. 6, 1785) who married Susannah Maggard.

Summary:The illegal removal of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back's gravestone from this cemetery was documented in an article written by Custer Back, who was one of the men who removed it, in the October, 1988 edition of the "Filson Club History Quarterly." His article described the fraudulent genealogy of "The Back-Bach Genealogical Society," and he actually bragged about what he and his cousins did. (You can find this article online.)

The remains of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back (wife of Joseph Back) are in The Maggard Cemetery, under that fake gravestone that "The Back-Bach Genealogical Society" had erected in 1988, describing her sister-in-law Elizabeth Hoffman (wife of Henry Back). However, the remains of Elizabeth Hoffman Back (wife of Henry Back), and the daughter of John Hoffman and Maria Sabina Folg, are in Rockingham County, Virginia somewhere, perhaps in The Elk Run Cemetery.

The precious remains of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, in The Maggard Cemetery, have been grossly disrespected since 1988. Perhaps someday, someone will rectify this tragedy. She should have a gravestone over her remains that describes HER, and not her sister-in-law.

All of this information has been well-documented, many times, in numerous sources. Hazel Back Craft told me all about this, in great detail.