Scott Jeffrey Williams

Scott Jeffrey Williams, 76, passed away on April 29, 2026 in Middle Amana, Iowa due to the cumulative effects of dementia.

Scott was born to Lloyd and Elizabeth (Betty) Williams on February 2, 1950 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Scott cherished his childhood alongside his sisters, Nancy and Sally, on the family farm near Fairfax. He graduated from Cedar Rapids Prairie High School in 1968 and a European tour that summer fueled a lifelong enthusiasm for history and travel.

Scott graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Education Administration from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University) in Kirksville, Missouri. From 1973 - 2005, Scott taught 6th grade in the Cedar Rapids School District and incorporated unique learning experiences to complement the academic curriculum; over his 32-year career, countless students observed chickens hatching in an egg incubator and learned to play chess and backgammon in Scott’s classroom.

In the summer of 1976, Scott had his tea leaves read in Greece and was advised he would marry a woman with long, dark hair. On the first day of the school year that fall, Scott met a new teacher - Ursula Hazelwood Hoefing - and the prediction came true when they married on September 2, 1978.

Together, Scott and Ursula bicycled across Iowa on more than 40 RAGBRAI’s and were original members of the Sprint Selzer Bicycle Club, the oldest organized club on RAGBRAI. They were loyal Iowa Hawkeye Athletics fans and longtime football, basketball, and wrestling season ticket holders. Scott was an eclectic collector of antique corkscrews and bottle openers, Hawkeye memorabilia, and rare furniture. He enjoyed live music of all kinds and proudly supported Ursula’s bluegrass music groups.

Scott was a member of Fairfax United Methodist Church (later Clover Ridge Church). During his later years, Scott appreciated connecting with his mother’s religious and cultural heritage in the Community of True Inspiration which settled the Amana Colonies. He was a seeker and maintained a daily meditation practice since the 1970’s. In the 1980’s Scott became a certified practitioner of Reiki energy work and Hellerwork Structural Integration. Above all, Scott was a spiritual person who was genuinely open-minded and intellectually curious about all belief systems.

Scott and Ursula raised their children, Emilie and Morgan, in a house Scott designed and built near his parents, sisters and their families. Scott took his young family on memorable road trips during school breaks, including tracing the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails and touring natural wonders like the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley. No historical marker or site of cultural interest (or antique store along the way) was overlooked by Scott’s careful planning.

In 2007, Scott and Ursula moved into a historic home in Middle Amana. They were joyfully active in the community life of the Amana Colonies -- the same setting as so many of Scott’s core memories with grandparents, cousins, and extended family. Scott relished being a museum and tour guide in Amana and serving on the Board of the Amana Arts Guild. Scott and Ursula traveled near and far during their retirement; their favorite trips included Key West, several European tours, and bicycling in Oregon and Wisconsin.

Scott will be deeply missed by his wife of 47 years, Ursula H. Williams of Middle Amana, his daughter and son-in-law Emilie and Michael Kaplan, and grand-daughters Cosette Kaplan and Hazel Betty Kaplan, all of Evanston, Illinois. Scott is also survived by his sister Sally Williams, brother-in-law T.H. (Carolynne) Hoefing, brother-in-law Bob (Sheryl) Cook, nieces Claudia (Adam) Ahrens, Betsy (Brian) Harrison, and Katy (Nick) Dohrmann, nephews Eric (Kristy) Hoefing, Neall Hoefing, Brad (Kim) Hoefing, and Marc Hoefing. Many beloved cousins, extended family, and lifelong friends will also miss Scott.

Scott has been reunited with his son, Morgan Williams, as well as with his parents, Lloyd and Betty, sister Nancy Cook, and sister-in-law Sarah Hoefing.

In his final act of teaching, Scott deeded his body to the University of Iowa Carver School of Medicine for education and research. In the future his remains will be inurned alongside his son, parents, sister, and generations of Welsh paternal ancestors in Oak Hill Cemetery in Williamsburg, Iowa.

The family would like to thank the staff of Colonial Manor in Amana and Moments Hospice for their consistent and kind care for Scott.

“Now I’ve been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come

And I believe it could be, something good has begun

Oh I’ve been smiling lately, dreaming about the world as one

And I believe it could be, some day it’s going to come

Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train

Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again”

- Cat Stevens, “Peace Train”

Funeral Services are pending with Powell Funeral Home in Marengo.