Bidsey Shartzer (maiden name unknown) was born on November 5, 1820, in Virginia. She married Benjamin Shartzer, and they had at least four children: William Riley, born on January 8, 1842; Nathaniel, born around 1845; Squire, born around 1851; and Stanley, born around 1865. They lived in Virginia until the late 1840s, when they moved to Grayson County, Kentucky. Her husband worked as a shoemaker, and by 1850, they owned $100 of real estate. By 1870, they owned $800 of real estate and $400 of personal property. Her husband died on October 28, 1895, and she passed away on January 26, 1896.