Valid Divorce? Valid Marriage

[Xcowgirl]

I am highly confused on a few issues.

Husband got married in California (1994) - Divorced in Michigan in 1997.

We have been married since 1999.  We are in the process of getting the marriage blessed through the catholic church, so he has to get that marriage annulled.

I did a request from the proper county my husband and the ex were married in to get a copy of their marriage certificate.

He needs a copy of the marriage certificate and the divorce decree.

Apparently - whom ever married them, never submitted their completed marriage licenses/marriage documents to the county clerk office.

He hired a guy from the paper, we are thinking he took the cash and dashed!

I received a certified letter stating that the marriage neve took place.

Were they legally married?

Did they need to get divorced?

What about all the court orders in effect now?

Can we fight the orders, seeing how they were never actully legally married???

HELP  -  anything.....