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Kim Kardashian and North West | Source: Getty Images
Kim Kardashian and North West | Source: Getty Images

North West Only Knew One of Her Great-Grandparents - They All Followed Different Life Paths

Bettina Dizon
Sep 29, 2022
08:30 A.M.

North West's Great-grandparents were great people who would have imparted essential life lessons to their family. However, only one of them is alive.

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Millions of people worldwide already anticipated North West's birth long before she was born, thanks to her famous family.

Born on June 15, 2013, in Los Angeles, California, North is the first child of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. She comes from a prominent family that has been known for generations.

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The public watched North grow into a beautiful young lady through her family's reality show, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," and their social media posts.

In April 2015, Kim, of Armenian descent, and Kanye took their daughter to Jerusalem to have her baptized in the Armenian Apostolic Church at the Cathedral of St. James.

Like her great-grandfathers on her mother's side, North's great-grandmother, Helen Kardashian, is no longer alive.

North had the support of her whole family then and until today. She is also fortunate enough to know not only her grandparents but also some of her great-grandparents.

Great-Grandfathers of North West on Her Mother's Side

North's maternal great-grandparents are Robert Houghton and Arthur Kardashian. Robert and his wife, Mary Jo, welcomed Kris Jenner, North's grandmother, on November 5, 1955. However, the couple divorced after seven years, leaving Kris with a broken home.

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Unfortunately, Robert, Kim's maternal grandfather, died at a young age in 1975 due to a devastating car accident that took his life. It is why North grew up unfamiliar with him.

Unfortunately, North also did not know Arthur, her mother's paternal grandfather. Arthur and his wife, Helen Arakelian, married on February 12, 1938, and had three children, Barbara, Thomas, and Robert, Kim's father.

Arthur passed away on December 9, 2012, in Los Angeles, California. He was 95 at that time, while Kim was pregnant with North. The reality star once dedicated a post to him, writing, "Me & my papa Arthur Kardashian."

Great-Grandmothers of North West on Her Mother's Side

Like her great-grandfathers on her mother's side, North's great-grandmother, Helen Kardashian, is no longer alive. Helen, Kim's paternal grandmother, is of Armenian descent, born to ethnic Armenian emigrants.

Portwood is Kanye's maternal grandfather, who died on August 10, 2013, in Oklahoma, at the age of 98.

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She was born on July 15, 1917, and resided in Indian Wells as a wonderful wife and mother. At the age of 90, Helen peacefully died on May 21, 2008, at Mission Hills' Ararat Nursing Home. In 2019, Kim dedicated a post to her grandmother, writing:

"Me and my Nana! My dads mom, Helen Kardashian was the absolute best! She was such a force! Miss you Nana."

Fortunately, North's other grandmother, Mary Jo Campbell, is very much alive and was a rare face on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians."

Mary Jo, better known as MJ, has a close relationship with Kris and her children. Born on July 26, 1934, MJ became an etiquette school teacher, entrepreneur, and model until she founded her store, Shannon & Company, in 1980.

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She had two daughters with Robert, Kris, and Karen, before walking down the aisle again to marry Harry Shannon for 40 years. MJ turned 88 in 2022 but is still visibly strong. In a dedication on Instagram, Kim wrote:

"Happy 88th Birthday to the Queen MJ! I love you so much grandma and so so so lucky to have you to look up to."

North West's Great-Grandparents on Dad's Side

Unfortunately, very little is known about North West's great-grandparents on her father's side, as Kanye did not descend from a family of celebrities. However, it is known that the eldest child of Kim and Kanye attended Portwood Williams' funeral at a few months old.

Portwood is Kanye's maternal grandfather, who died on August 10, 2013, in Oklahoma, at the age of 98. According to the LA Times, before passing, Portwood met Kim and described her as "just as sweet as she is beautiful." He added, "She was just down to earth."

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Portwood, born on July 27, 1915, was an Oklahoma native and resident for the duration of his life. Not much is known about him besides the fact that he used to be enlisted in the US Army.

Similarly, his wife, Lucille Eckles Williams, also passed away before North's birth. She was her great-grandmother and Kanye's maternal grandmother.

Lucille was born on October 15, 1915, in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. Like her spouse, she resided in the state her whole life until her passing on May 28, 2008, at age 92.

Kanye hasn't spoken much about his grandparents. However, they are undoubtedly proud of the rapper's achievements thus far.

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North's paternal great-grandparents passed away a few years after Kim and Kanye met in 2003. It wasn't until 2012 that they started dating and became a couple. They welcomed North in 2013 and tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony the following year.

The pair had more children in the following years until turmoil plagued their marriage. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have since ended their union but remain committed to raising their children.

Following their divorce, Kim talked to North about their family's situation and explained their new dynamics in the best way possible. Then seven years old, North was already aware of how things would be in their household moving forward.

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