Gladys Gray was born on July 14, 1927 in Michigan. She married John Kapenga on August 31, 1946 at Burlingame Congregational Church, where they were both members. They had three children together.
Kapenga worked at Michigan Bell and AT&T for 40 years, before retiring in 1989. Upon her retirement, Kapenga took on a growing leadership role in the religious community in Michigan, particularly within the United Church of Christ (UCC). She served as President of the Women's Fellowship at Burlingame Congregational, Secretary for the UCC Women of Grand Rapids Area, and President of the UCC Women of Michigan. She was also on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Conference of the United Church of Christ and was Moderator of the Grand West Association. She was named a UCC Laywoman of the Year in 1995.
Outside of the United Church of Christ, Kapenga was actively involved in Church Women United (CWU) as the Vice President of Church Women United of Michigan and President of Church Women United Greater Grand Rapids Unit. She was named a CWU Valiant Woman in 1996. Church Women United was founded in 1941 as a national volunteer Christian ecumenical women's organization composed of at least 26 different religious denominations. CWU was intended to bring together women of diverse races, cultures, and traditions.
From the guide to the Gladys Kapenga papers, ca 1960–ca. 2010, 1985-2007, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
