Mrs. Ms. Misses or Miss?

[DIXIE LASS]

I'm not even sure that third one is ever proper.

A story I'm working on centers around a widowed mother that takes her daughter's place in a slavery contract to a family friend. She has kept her last name after her husband's death, but I'm not sure whether or not she would retain Mrs. or convert to Ms. Are there hardset rules about it, or their replacement with Miss?

If the widow resides in the rural South, she will probably prefer Mrs. Regardless of her wishes, her friends, neighbors, and co-workers will
continue to use Mrs. Of course, this is pronounced MIZ.

If the widow resides in SanFrancisco, however, she better prefer Ms because her friends, neighbors, and co-workers will insist on its use.
Dittos for the rest of California, Washington, Oregon, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Hawaii, and DC.

The rest of the country? A toss-up. Generally Mrs. as you move through the western mountain states like Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming
and sweep back around thru' Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. (Hey....if I missed any red states I'm sorry.) A decided leaning toward Ms
as you move toward and into the northeast.

DIXIE

P.S. The word Ms is generally hated, reviled, and sneered at by white Southerners over the page of 40.