U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 5
ANNUAL 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).
[_] Form 3 Holdings Reported
[_] Form 4 Transactions Reported
________________________________________________________________________________
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
Connors Robert R.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Last) (First) (Middle)
6610 Hazelwood Avenue
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Street)
Indianapolis IN 46260
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(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)
323-42-4518
________________________________________________________________________________
4. Statement for Month/Year
August 2003
________________________________________________________________________________
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)
________________________________________________________________________________
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
================================================================================
5. 6.
4. Amount of Owner-
Securities Acquired (A) or Securities ship
Disposed of (D) Beneficially Form: 7.
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5) Owned at End Direct Nature of
2. 3. ----------------------------- of Issuer's (D) or Indirect
1. Transaction Transaction (A) Fiscal Year Indirect Beneficial
Title of Security Date Code Amount or Price (Instr. 3 (I) Ownership
(Instr. 3) (mm/dd/yy) (Instr. 8) (D) and 4) (Instr.4) (Instr. 4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
====================================================================================================================================
* 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 Responses) (Over)
FORM 5 (continued)
Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
================================================================================
9. 10.
Number Owner-
of ship
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- Securities Date Securities Price Bene- ity: In-
cise 3. Acquired (A) Exercisable and (Instr. 3 and 4) of ficially Direct direct
Price Trans- 4. or Disposed Expiration Date ---------------- Deriv- Owned (D) or Bene-
1. of action Trans- of (D) (Month/Day/Year) Amount ative at End In- ficial
Title of Deriv- Date action (Instr. 3, ---------------- or Secur- of direct Owner-
Derivative ative (Month/ Code 4 and 5) Date Expira- Number ity Year (I) ship
Security Secur- Day/ (Instr. ------------ Exer- tion of (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr.
(Instr. 3) ity Year) 8) (A) (D) cisable Date Title Shares 5) 4) 4) 4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employee Stock
Option (Right
to Buy) 26.60 08/26/02 A A 08/26/04 08/26/12 Common 3,150* 3,150 D
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
====================================================================================================================================
Explanation of Responses: *Reporting person was awarded 3,000 options on
August 26, 2002.
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 January 8, 2003
--------------------------------------------- -----------------------
**Signature of Reporting Person Date
(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