Born in 1918 in Madison, Georgia, Amanda was the daughter of Frank and Grace Phillips Thrasher. She spent many of her early days in Cleveland, forming lifelong friendships here. She was a graduate of Bradley High School, where she later taught English, and the University of Chattanooga. During World War II, she worked for the CBS Radio Network in New York.

For many years, she and her husband operated Gray’s Array, an antiques and collectibles business, both at Chattanooga’s Northgate Gallery and in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. They exhibited in the renowned Plum Nelly Art Show for 17 seasons, and at various antiques shows in the Southeast. In 1963, she helped organize the "Town Treasures" antiques exhibition at Chattanooga's Hunter Museum, which drew the largest attendance in the museum’s history.