U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
[_] Check box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations
may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
________________________________________________________________________________
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
Helms Larry R
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Last) (First) (Middle)
4905 North Tillotson Avenue
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Street)
Muncie IN 47304
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(City) (State) (Zip)
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
First Merchants Corporation - FRME
________________________________________________________________________________
3. IRS Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an Entity (Voluntary)
###-##-####
________________________________________________________________________________
4. Statement for Month/Year
September/2001
________________________________________________________________________________
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
________________________________________________________________________________
6. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
[_] Director [_] 10% Owner
[x] Officer (give title below) [_] Other (specify below)
Senior Vice President, Secretary & General Counsel
________________________________________________________________________________
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check applicable line)
[x] Form filed by one Reporting Person
[_] Form filed by more than one Reporting Person
________________________________________________________________________________
================================================================================
Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of,
or Beneficially Owned
================================================================================
6.
4. 5. Owner-
Securities Acquired (A) or Amount of ship
3. Disposed of (D) Securities Form: 7.
Transaction (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) Beneficially Direct Nature of
2. Code ------------------------------- Owned at End (D) or Indirect
1. Transaction (Instr. 8) (A) of Month Indirect Beneficial
Title of Security Date ------------ Amount or Price (Instr. 3 (I) Ownership
(Instr. 3) (mm/dd/yy) Code V (D) and 4) (Instr.4) (Instr. 4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 16,051 D
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
====================================================================================================================================
* If the Form is filed by more than one Reporting Person, see Instruction
4(b)(v).
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
owned directly or indirectly.
(Print or Type Response) (Over)
FORM 4 (continued)
Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
================================================================================
10.
9. Owner-
Number ship
of Form
2. Deriv- of
Conver- 5. 7. ative Deriv- 11.
sion Number of Title and Amount Secur- ative Nature
or Derivative 6. of Underlying 8. ities Secur- of
Exer- 4. Securities Date Securities Price Bene- ity: In-
cise 3. Trans- Acquired (A) Exercisable and (Instr. 3 and 4) of ficially Direct direct
Price Trans- action or Disposed Expiration Date ---------------- Deriv- Owned (D) or Bene-
1. of action Code of(D) (Month/Day/Year) Amount ative at End In- ficial
Title of Deriv- Date (Instr. (Instr. 3, ---------------- or Secur- of direct Owner-
Derivative ative (Month/ 8) 4 and 5) Date Expira- Number ity Month (I) ship
Security Secur- Day/ ------ ------------ Exer- tion of (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr.
(Instr. 3) ity Year) Code V (A) (D) cisable Date Title Shares 5) 4) 4) 4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employee Stock
Option (Right to
Buy) 36,880 D
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deferred Stock
Units 237.33 D
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
====================================================================================================================================
Explanation of Responses: On August 14, 2001, the Board of Directors of First
Merchants Corporation declared a stock dividend payable to all holders of
record of common stock on September 3, 2001 of one share of common stock for
each 20 shares of common stock outstanding to be distributed on September 24,
2001. Fractional shares were distributed in cash. Pursuant to anti-dilution
provisions of First Merchants Corporation's various stock option plans,
options previously reported were also adjusted to reflect the stock dividend.
/s/ Larry R. Helms October 9, 2001
--------------------------------------------- -----------------------
**Signature of Reporting Person Date
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal
Criminal Violations.
See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Page 2