Simon Hymes was first recognized as a tailor in Leadville by the 1883 city directory. He was employed by James Canavan and lived at 124 West Chestnut Street. By the next year he had started his own business, employing his brother-in-law Burnim Silver, as a merchant tailor at 103 West 3rd Street and had moved his household to the rear of 113 East 4th Street. The 1885 city directory showed his new home to be at 329 East 4th Street, but the special Census of that year listed only E. Hymes (recorded as being divorced and surely a sign of discord) and her four daughters at this address. An explanation may be found in the Aspen Census wherein both Simon and Burnim appear.

The 30 year old Ester Hymes (sister to Burnim Silver) had been born in Poland, as was Simon. The oldest daughter, Jenetta, 12 at the time of the Census, was also a native of Poland but was the child of Ester’s first husband, a Greenwald brother who did not survive to emigrate. Rebecca, 8, was born in New York so the family immigrated before 1877. Both of the older girls were in school. The third child, 3 year old Sarah, was a native of Colorado so the family must have been there by 1881 or 1882. Finally, Dora was born during August, 1884, in Leadville.

Simon continued his meandering career by finding employment with Kenneth Matheson in 1886 and moving his residence to 900 Harrison Avenue. In 1887 he was working as a tailor for W. C. Wineman and living at 127 West Chestnut Street. We have no listing for Simon in 1888, but Mrs. E. Hymes appears in the city directory at 125 1/2 West Chestnut. Since this is immediately adjacent to the address that Simon maintained until 1891, we must assume that the family was still together in some sense. By 1890 Simon was back doing business as Hymes & Silver, merchant tailors, at 218 Harrison Avenue. Joseph H. Silver may have been a relative of Burnim Silver's and was close enough to the Hymes family to share quarters with them at the 127 West Chestnut Street lodging. The Hymes name last appears in Leadville in 1891 when Simon had retreated from his own venture and was working for Solomon Flaks.

Ester died in Denver in 1910 and Simon on June 10, 1946, in Pueblo.