If a relative appears to have gotten married for the first time at a slightly older than normal age, look again. That first marriage might not have been the actual first marriage.
For a female, this means that what you think is a maiden name may not really be a maiden name at all but could be the last name of a previous husband. Not all marriage records ask how many times the bride and groom have been married before and not all records use a “Miss” or “Mrs.” before the bride’s name. And since men’s last names don’t change upon marriage, it is even easier for a man to have a first marriage that’s unknown to the genealogist.
Family stories about these marriages do not often get passed down to the current generation, especially if there were no children for the marriage or the marriage had a confrontational ending.
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At some times and places, a woman might be referred to as “Mrs.” even if she had never been married, especially if she was past a certain age or had a job.