Gause was born in Greens Fork, Indiana to a Quaker family. Two years after he was born, his father, Dr. Thomas Gause, was murdered by Arthur Brooks after Dr. Gause told Brooks's wife that her husband was having an extramarital affair. This caused Mr. Brooks to seek revenge, entering Gause's office, threatening him, and then shooting him with a revolver. Brooks was later convicted by a jury and given a harsh sentence. The case garnered media attention across Indiana. After the murder, Fred's mother, Christine Gause (née Boone), moved her family to Henry County.Minde C. Browning, Richard Humphrey, and Bruce Kleinschmidt, "Biographical Sketches of Indiana Supreme Court Justices", Indiana Law Review, Vol. 30, No. 1 (1997), section reproduced in Indiana Courts Justice Biographies page.
