4 1 f4rms0902.txt FORM 4 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* Smitson Robert M -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Last) (First) (Middle) 5200 West Pineridge Road -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (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/Day/Year 09/13/02 ________________________________________________________________________________ 5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year) ________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer (Check all applicable) [x] Director [_] 10% Owner [_] Officer (give title below) [_] Other (specify below) ________________________________________________________________________________ 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 V 5,~~407~~677 D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common 5,~~315~~580 I Spouse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ====================================================================================================================================

* 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) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non-Employee Director Stock Option (Right to Buy) 68,~~930~~379 D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ====================================================================================================================================

On August 13, 2002, the Board of Directors of First Merchants Corporation declared a stock dividend payable to all holders of record of common stock on August 30, 2002 of one share of common stock for each 20 shares of common stock outstanding to be distributed on September 13, 2002. 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 2, 2002 --------------------------------------------- ----------------------- **Signature of Reporting Person Date Robert M. Smitson (Confirming Statement on File) ** 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

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