Betty Schell was a lady was in a man's world. She was a professional yet compassionate, the dedicated Covington city clerk and a devoted mother of three.

Schell passed away Monday at the age of 83, but she left no shortage of memories with the many Covington residents she met during the course of her 31 year career with the city, including 22 years as city clerk.

Schell worked as clerk until 1990, and during that time she was in charge of much of the city's day-to-day operations. Schell's funeral is being held at 2:00 p.m., today at the chapel of Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home, 1215 Access Rd., Covington.

"Being a young daughter, she set an example for me and many young women that we could be a working woman and a mother at the same time. That was practically unheard of at that time," said daughter Cindy George.

"She knew how to be a professional, but the second she walked in the door she became a full time mom. She was the biggest inspiration I've had in my life; she showed me that I can have it all."

George said her mother also had the unique gift to turn any negative situation into a positive one. George was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago, and she and her mother decided to seek radiation treatments in Covington.

"So it became a time for us to fellowship with each other, have lunch and spend time with each other. For 31 days straight she met me at the radiation center and every day we had our time together," George said. "It was a negative situation but she encouraged and lifted me up more than I can ever say."

Schell was also "a real cut up," with a diverse sense of humor. George's daughter and Schell would constantly talk about reality TV shows, including "The Bachelor," where they debated who would get a rose and move on to the next round.

Even after retiring, Schell never stopped working to make her city a better place.

"She was just a sweetheart. I don't think there was a bigger advocate for the city; she truly loved the city of Covington," Councilman Keith Dalton said at Monday's council meeting.

City Manager Steve Horton spoke of her dedication and her willingness to share her knowledge and discuss anything city related.

Past and present city employees and elected officials will have a separate seating area at the funeral and officers of Covington Police Department will serve as an honor guard.