U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 3
INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Fritz, James E.
219 Miles Ridge Road
Madison, Indiana 47250
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
12/20/1996
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
River Valley Bancorp
RIVR
5. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer (Check all applicable)
(X) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
President and Chief Financial Officer (1) (2)
6. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
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Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned |
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1. Title of Security |2. Amount of |3. Ownership |4. Nature of Indirect |
| Securities | Form: | Beneficial Ownership |
| Beneficially | Direct(D) or | |
| Owned | Indirect(I) | |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S> <C> <C> <C>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table II -- Derivative Securitites Beneficially Owned |
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1.Title of Derivative |2.Date Exer- |3.Title and Amount | |4. Conver-|5. Owner- |6. Nature of Indirect |
Security | cisable and | of Underlying | |sion or |ship: | Beneficial Ownership |
| Expiration | Securities | |exercise |Form of | |
| Date(Month/ |-----------------------|---------|price of |Deriv- | |
| Day/Year) | |Amount |deri- |ative | |
| Date | Expira- | |or |vative |Security: | |
| Exer- | tion | Title |Number of|Security |Direct(D) or | |
| cisable | Date | |Shares | |Indirect(I) | |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
(1) Director, President and Chief Financial Officer of River Valley
Bancorp
(2) Director, President and Chief Financial Officer of Madison First Federal
Savings and Loan Association
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ James E. Fritz
DATE
12/20/96
