Amanda Spangler Obituary
Amanda Cheryl Saunders Spangler of Cisco, Texas, was unexpectedly called home in her sleep to her eternal rest in the arms of the Lord at the age of 48.
Born on January 7, 1978, in Lubbock, Texas, to Ray and Alice Saunders, Amanda moved with her family in 1985 to Cisco at the age of seven, and she would make Cisco her lifelong home.
Amanda had a light in her clear, soft gray eyes—a twinkle paired with a good-fun, mischievous streak that would brighten with her big smile and an infectious giggle. She was quick-minded, smart, and endlessly curious, always researching, learning, and developing new ideas. She was deeply sentimental about family and history, and she followed with great interest everything from family stories to the latest mission to the moon.
She was incredibly generous, with a thoughtful gentleness and a huge heart. Amanda would quietly rise to help.working tirelessly in anything she set her mind to. She took great joy in surprising others—often anonymously—with a thoughtful gift or kind deed, or just being there if you needed a hand or a friend.
Strong-willed and determined, Amanda fought hard for her health and an unbounded life as a Type 1 diabetic from the age of four. She tenaciously pursued her education, graduating from the inaugural class of the Texas Tech University Health Science Center Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy in Abilene. She went on to humbly serve our country's heroes as a pharmacist for many years with the U.S. Veterans Administration.
Amanda fiercely loved her family and all of her (many) dogs and cats. She drew such strength from her husband and true partner, Frank, and her beloved children, and she doted on them and her nieces and nephews. And she loved gathering with the whole family for holidays, including with Frank's older sons, Gary and Chris, and their families. She was never more proud than watching her son, Seth, become a doctor and his wife and high school sweetheart, Tabitha, a Physician Assistant in Fort Worth, and to bittersweetly seeing her daughter, Elana, find her wings in faraway Colorado for college.
Amanda was also a wonderful and creative cook—her cornbread breakfast casserole a must-try—loved gardening and city egg farming, and being a thrifty, determined "fixer.". She loved traveling and adored her friends and the goodness in her small-town community, and she was devoted to Bible study.
At the time of her passing, Amanda was full of hope and plans, with gratitude and pride in her present and a mind full of future possibilities for herself and for her family. She looked forward to trips, special family gatherings, and one day having a getaway cabin in Kentucky, where she had spent summers as a child. Amanda was all in for whatever she set her mind to, especially when it came to doing something for someone or something she loved.
Amanda will be laid to rest in Oakwood Cemetery overlooking the CHS Chesley Field, where she cheered on the Loboes for decades—from her own time in the band, to supporting her children in football, cheer, and band, and continuing to volunteer long after they graduated.
She is survived by her husband, Frank Spangler of Cisco; her son, Dr. Seth Saunders and daughter-in-law Tabitha (McKinney) of Fort Worth; her daughter, Elana Spangler of Colorado Springs, Colorado; stepsons, Chris Spangler and his wife Joanna (Cisco), and Gary Spangler and his wife Billy Joe (Missouri). She is also survived by her mother, Alice Saunders (Cisco and Houston, Texas); and her sisters and their families: Stacey Saunders and Jeff Smith (Houston) — Ben (New Orleans), Nathan (Austin), Audrey, Luke, and Cole (Houston); Amy and Jason Miller (Mansfield)—Bethany (Lubbock) and Nolan (Mansfield); and Emily and Dave Ambler —Rae, Knox, and Cora (Fort Worth).
She was preceded in death by her father and namesake, Charles Ray Saunders of Cisco, Texas.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Kimbrough-Jacobs Funeral Home, 300 W. 9th Street, Cisco, Texas, with burial to follow at Oakwood Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), dedicated to advancing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and better treat Type 1 Diabetes and its complications and to ensure access to treatments. Donations can be made at the link below.
