She was the fifth of eleven children born to Richard Fausett and Mary McKee. Amanda married Moses Martin Sanders on the 12 Jan 1826 in Maury County, Tennessee.

They had twelve children: William Carroll Sanders, Richard Twiggs Sanders, John Franklin Sanders, Rebecca Ann Sanders, Martha Brown Sanders, David Walker Sanders, Joseph Moroni Sanders, Sidney Rigdon Sanders, Emma Sanders, Eliza Jane Sanders, Hyrum Smith Sanders and Moses Martin Sanders Jr.. They were early members of the L.D.S. Church

Her husband, Moses Sanders, is buried in the St. George Cemetery, St. George, Utah.

Thanks to Rutann Wood for the above updated bio.
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Richard Twiggs was the second child born to Amanda Armstrong Fausett and Moses Martin Sanders Sr.

His older brother, William Carrol, was born in Bedford County, Tennessee on December 4, 1826. He died a few months later.

Then Richard Twiggs was born May 31, 1928 in Maury County. In 1829, John's father and his uncles, William and David Sanders, and his Aunt Nancy moved to Montgomery County, Illinois where John Franklin (born March 5, 1830) and the next three children were born: Rebecca Ann Sanders, March 5, 1832; Martha Brown Sanders, May 25, 1824; and David Walker Sanders, September 1, 1835.

Mormon missionaries came to their home about this time and Moses Martin was baptized January 28, 1835 by an Elder William Joy. Soon the family felt the urge to join with the body of saints in Missouri, but this was a terrible time in church history. Mobbings and persecutions were taking place daily in Missouri. The family arrived just as the saints were being driven from Clay County. Along with the rest of these driven people, they arrived in Far West, Caldwell County, but the persecutions followed and in two years they were on their way again. Joseph Moroni was born 25 Dec. 1836, the night his family was driven from their home in Far West, Clay, Missouri.

Despite all these troubles which caused so many to lose their faith and apostacize, the Moses Martin Sanders family remained steadfast. When you realize that their prophet Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were in the Liberty Jail most of this time facing a very dim future, you realize how strong their faith must have been. In the hard winter of 1838-39, the saints were again driven from their homes and this time followed along the Missouri River to Quincy, Adams County, Illinois where they located before moving up to Commerce, later to become Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois. Moses and Amanda's next child, Sidney Rigdon, was born at Adams County on April 10, 1839.

Around 1840, the family made the move to Nauvoo and built a little home which the 1840 census shows was next to the home of John Smith, who was the prophet's uncle. It was also very near the Joseph Smith Sr. home, the prophet's father. On January 23, 1941, daughter Emma Sanders was born. Eliza Jane Sanders followed on June 4, 1843 and Hyrum Smith Sanders on June 10, 1845. All three of these children were born in Nauvoo. Little six year old Sidney died during this same period, in 1844.

A month before the big exodus of the saints from Nauvoo in February of 1846, his father and mother were able to go to the almost completed temple for their endowments. They were sealed for time and eternity by Heber C. Kimball, January 20, 1846.

When the Sanders family left Nauvoo with the exodus, they settled at Pigeon Grove, near Council Bluffs and here Moses worked in a saw pit during the year of 1847. The saw was run by hand and was a very slow, hard process.

Richard, being the oldest boy, at age 18 joined the Mormon Battalion and marched away on that long trek to California. This was the last sight his mother had of him, as after the Battalion disbanded he remained in California for several years, married a Spanish girl and had a little family. His wife died in 1858 and shortly after, he started for Utah. He was killed on the way, shot in the back with an arrow by Indians. No one has any record of his children.

-from The Sanders Sage newsletter

New Update from Chuck Sanders. Richard Twiggs married Antonio Ruellas and their children are:

John Sanders 20 Aug 1851
Ellen Sanders 18 Aug 1853
Amanda Sanders 28 Feb 1855
Dan Sanders 14 Jun 1857

Richard died in Amador County, California.

Thank you Chuck.

They came to Utah in 1848. As they neared the valley, David Sanders came out to meet them, which was the first news they had had from the rest of the family of Sanders that had come out in 1848. About this time, Amanda took sick with pleurisy in her sides and it grew worse. It hurt so much to even ride in the wagon. When they arrived at the Weber River it was decided to leave David in charge of the wagon and for Henry to ride on horseback to get Moses to take a springboard and go out to meet the company so that Amanda could ride with more ease. Henry engaged a horse in the evening, arose to ride the next morning and fully expected to reach his destination by that night. He was disappointed in the endurance of his horse. When he got between the mountains east of Salt Lake, the horse tired out and he was compelled to make camp for the night. The next morning he arrived at Moses Martin Sander's place twelve miles south of Salt Lake on the Jordan River. Moses Martin Sanders then went out to meet the company.

Moses and Amanda had one more child, Moses Martin Sanders Jr. February 21, 1853 at Jordan, Utah. No children were born to Moses and Mary Jane.

In 1865, Moses and Amanda Sanders and their family were called to the Dixie Cotton Mission. It was found that cotton could be raised quite successfully here, and there had been a factory built at Washington where the cotton could be turned into yard goods, some ready made clothing, and blankets which could be exchanged for other products throughout the state.

Moses Sanders bought the Middleton Ranch and built a house there just east of the bridge, which still stands in good condition. His sons, one of which is Joseph Moroni, obtained land in the Washington fields.

Her husband died November 9, 1878 in St. George, Utah.

Around 1879, Amanda's son, John Franklin, received a call to settle the Tonto Basin in Arizona. Amanda went with them. Before the Saints had been in Salt Lake Valley a year, President Brigham Young started the "Planting of Colonies Program" in Utah, Arizona, California, Idaho and Mexico, which continued some years after his death. The purpose, of course, was to start Mormon settlements where the immigrant converts and others could come and find a place to live in peace.

Each person in the group going to Tonto Basin had a special skill or craft which would ensure the success of each settlement. Another son, Joseph Moroni, was supposed to go with the group but was ill when the call came; after waiting a year for him and he was not better, the company went on without him.

The area was very desolate and lonely. It was given the dainty name of "Gisela" by a school teacher and is still found on the Arizona map, but she resisted all efforts to cultivate her. Skeletal buildings 5 miles from the road are the only evidence of the Sanders family having been there.

Amanda died at Gisela in 1885, and was buried there. About 75 years later, Wesley Jones, a great-grandson, visited her grave. He found it a most desolate, lonely place, a few dried grasses, rocks on which lizards were warming themselves and snakes slithering among them all. It moved him to do something about it, so he bought two very nice stones and set them in cement to mark the resting places of a great pioneer lady and her grandson, Martin Henry.

- From the Sanders Sage Newsletter, July 1978, written by Roselyn Woodward Slade and shared with Rhonda by Marilyn Woodward Thacker.

children: William Carroll Sanders, Richard Twiggs Sanders, John Franklin Sanders, Rebecca Ann Sanders, Martha Brown Sanders, David Walker Sanders, Joseph Moroni Sanders, Sidney Rigdon Sanders, Emma Sanders, Eliza Jane Sanders, Hyrum Smith Sanders and Moses Martin Sanders Jr..