JERISE GARTEN SR. was born Sidney Jerise Garten in Hainesport, New Jersey on November 19, 1925 to Jeris and Mildred Garten. His father worked as a butcher and by April of 1930 the family, which included younger brother Edgar, had moved to Gloucester County, where they rented a house on Woodland Avenue in Deptford Township.

The Gartent family had come to Camden in the early 1940s. The 1940 City Directory shows them at 1008 North 25th Street in Camden's Cramer Hill section. neighborhood.  The elder Garten was then working as a welder at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyards in South Camden. By the time the 1947 Camden City Directory was compiled the Garten family had moved to 932 North 31st Street  Jerise Garten Sr., the subject of this writing, was working as an enameler. He had married, and his wife was also named Mildred. Younger brother Edgar was then serving in the United States Navy.

The 1956 New Jersey Bell Telephone Directory lists Jerry Garten living at 854 Beideman Avenue in Cramer Hill. His parents and brother remained on North 31st Street. His father passed away in 1960, his mother died in 1974.

On January 31, 1961 Jerise Garten Sr. was appointed to the Camden Fire Department. He reported for duty the following day.

On September 22, 1981 Jerise Garten Sr. was joined on the Camden Fire Department by his son when  Jerise Garten Jr. was appointed to the department. He too would become a career fire fighter.

Having served almost 25 years as a member of the Camden Fire Department, Jerise Garten Sr. retired
on December 31, 1986. Sadly he passed away only

two weeks later, on January 14, 1987. His brother Edgar remained at the North 31st Street address through at least the fall of 1994. Edgar Garten passed in June of  2004.