According to the 1900 Fannin County, Georgia census, Gus was born December 1890 not 1886 as per his death certificate, for he had a sister born in 1886. His parents would certainly have know the difference between a 14 year old and a 9 year old. The age just got shifted somewhere along the way. Gus was the son of Wiley Mannon Bailey and Josaphine Paralee Griffith, daughter of John M. Griffith and Jane Ann Rogers. He was the grandson of Ansel Bailey and Rutha Tipton of Fannin County, Georgia.

Siblings of Gus were Charles who married Sally Shoemaker; Rufus married Ida Weber from Iowa, and was a career military man; Frank A. married Mary Jones; Rosilla married Oscar Cornett; Laura married Loranzy Miller; Josie married Jasper Early; Noah A. married Faye Bryant; and two who died as infants, Poley and Bonnie.

He served in the US Marines during WW I and his son Bob, says he 'went around the world with the fleet in 1908." This was the historic 'Friendship Tour' by the Great White Fleet, the first 'round-the-world cruise by a fleet of steam-powered, steel battleships. The 43,000 mile, 14-month circumnavigation would include 20 port calls on six continents; it is widely considered one of the greatest peacetime achievements of the US Navy.

Gus married Martha Avaline Ledford, daughter of Frank and Nancy J. Ledford, in Fannin County Georgia and some of the children were born there, Bernice; Eimer married Ruth Clawson; Romae married George Fatora; Minnie; Tiny married Harry Carradine; and Bessemer 'Bob' married Elizabeth. About 1925 or so the family relocated to Pennsylvania, and children born there were Marvin, who married Mary Frances Ash; Nellie, never married; Carl married Betty; Edna married Don Stockdale; and Erna married a Jones.