Kathleen Orr was born 27 September 1922 outside of Buhl, Idaho. She graduated from Buhl High School in 1939 and from the University of Idaho in 1943. She earned a master's degree in home economics and biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1945.She married John Porter in 1945. John died in 1946. Warnick then moved back to Idaho to live with her parents and she taught in Buhl public schools for three years. Warnick moved to Idaho in 1949 to work as a research scientist for the University of Idaho. She met and in 1952, married Calvin C. Warnick. Kathleen was engaged in numerous civic, educational, and artistic organizations. She and Calvin donated in 1988 the builidng that became the offices of the Latah County Historical Society. In 1982, she received the UI Home Economics Distinguished Alumni Award. Kathleen and Calvin were awarded the Jim Lyle UI Alumni Award in 1995, and in 2002 she received an Orchid Award from the Moscow Historic Preservation Commission.