FIRST MIDWEST BANCORP INC
SC 13D, 1997-10-14
NATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANKS
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                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                           WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                            ---------------------

                                SCHEDULE 13D

                  UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                         FIRST MIDWEST BANCORP, INC.
                              (Name of Issuer)

                        Common Stock, $.01 Par Value
                       (Title of Class of Securities)

                                  320867104
                               (CUSIP number)

                             Geraldine C. Cowlin
                    c/o Law Offices of William J. Cowlin
                          41 North Virginia Street
                        Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014
                               (815) 459-4900
                (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
              Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)

                               October 1, 1997
           (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of This Statement)

        If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule
   13G  to report the  acquisition which is the  subject of this Schedule
   13D, and  is filing this schedule because  of Rule 13d-1(b)(3) or (4),
   check the following box  [  ].

                       (Continued on following pages) 












                              Page 1 of 6 Pages<PAGE>





   CUSIP No.  320867104               13D            Page 2 of 6 Pages



        1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
             S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS
                  Geraldine C. Cowlin
                  ###-##-####

        2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP    (a) [  ]
                                                                 (b) [  ]

        3    SEC USE ONLY


        4    SOURCE OF FUNDS
                  PF

        5    CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
             PURSUANT TO ITEM 2(d) OR 2(e)                           [  ]

        6    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
                  United States

        7    NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED
             BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH 

             SOLE VOTING POWER
                  2,310,153

        8     SHARED VOTING POWER
                  -0-

        9    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                  2,310,153

        10   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
                  -0-

        11   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
                  2,310,153

        12   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES
             CERTAIN SHARES                                          [X]
    
        13   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
                  11.5%

        14   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
                  IN<PAGE>





   CUSIP No.  320867104               13D            Page 3 of 6 Pages   



   ITEM 1.   SECURITY AND ISSUER.

        This Schedule 13D relates to the common stock, par value $.01 per
   share (the "First  Midwest Common Stock"),  of First Midwest  Bancorp,
   Inc., a Delaware corporation ("First  Midwest").  The address of First
   Midwest's principal  executive offices  is 300  Park Boulevard,  Suite
   405, Itasca, Illinois 60143-0459.

   ITEM 2.  IDENTITY AND BACKGROUND.

        (a)  Geraldine C. Cowlin  (the "Reporting Person")
        (b)  c/o Law  Offices  of William  J. Cowlin,  41 North  Virginia
             Street, Crystal Lake, Illinois, 60014
        (c)  Homemaker
        (d)  None
        (e)  None
        (f)  United States

   ITEM 3.  SOURCE AND AMOUNT OF FUNDS OR OTHER CONSIDERATION.

        The Reporting Person acquired her shares of  First Midwest Common
   Stock  in exchange  for 106,344 shares of common stock,  no par value,
   of  SparBank, Incorporated, a  Delaware corporation ("SparBank").   On
   October 1,  1997, SparBank  was merged with  and into  FMB Acquisition
   Corporation,  a wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  First  Midwest  ("FMB"),
   pursuant to  an Agreement  and Plan  of Merger,  dated June  18, 1997,
   among  SparBank, First  Midwest  and  FMB  (the  "Merger  Agreement").
   Pursuant to  the Merger Agreement,  each of the outstanding  shares of
   SparBank  common  stock was  exchanged  for  21.7234 shares  of  First
   Midwest Common Stock. 

   ITEM 4.  PURPOSE OF TRANSACTION.

        The Reporting Person acquired her shares of common stock of First
   Midwest Common Stock for investment  purposes.  Pursuant to the Merger
   Agreement,  First Midwest appointed  William J. Cowlin,  the spouse of
   the  Reporting  Person, to  serve  as  a  director of  First  Midwest,
   effective October 1, 1997, for a term of three years.  Under the terms
   of the Merger Agreement, First Midwest also agreed to nominate William
   J. Cowlin (or such other person as Geraldine C. Cowlin may  designate)
   to serve as a director of  First Midwest for a second three-year  term
   following the expiration of his first term as a director.

        The  Reporting  Person  has  no  current  plans  to  acquire  any
   additional shares of First Midwest Common Stock.

   ITEM 5.  INTEREST IN SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER.

        (a)  The Reporting  Person beneficially owns  2,310,153 shares of
             First  Midwest Common  Stock (or  11.5%  of the  outstanding<PAGE>





   CUSIP No.  320867104               13D            Page 4 of 6 Pages   



             shares  of First Midwest Common  Stock, giving effect to the
             3,230,764 shares of First Midwest Common Stock issued in the
             Merger).   The number  of shares  reported does  not include
             8,689 shares  held beneficially and of record  by William J.
             Cowlin,  the  Reporting  Person's spouse,  as  to  which the
             Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership.

        (b)  The Reporting Person  has sole power to vote  and direct the
             disposition of her shares of First Midwest Common Stock. 

        (c)  None.

        (d)  None.

        (e)  Not applicable.


   ITEM 6.   CONTRACTS,  ARRANGEMENTS,  UNDERSTANDINGS  OR  RELATIONSHIPS
             WITH RESPECT TO SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER.

        The Reporting Person is a party to an Investment Agreement, dated
   June  18,  1997,   between  First  Midwest  and  all   of  the  former
   stockholders of SparBank pursuant  to which First Midwest has  agreed,
   among other things,  to file a resale  registration statement covering
   the offer and  sale by such  stockholders of up  to 800,000 shares  of
   First Midwest Common Stock issued in the Merger.  The Reporting Person
   is also a  party to a  Registration Rights  Agreement, dated June  18,
   1997,  between First  Midwest and  all of  the former  stockholders of
   SparBank pursuant  to which  First Midwest  has granted  the Reporting
   Person certain demand registration rights  with respect to her  shares
   of First  Midwest Common  Stock,  exercisable during  the three-  year
   period beginning  on October 1,  1998 and  ending on October  1, 2001.
   The Reporting Person  also joined in the Merger  Agreement for certain
   limited purposes relating to the Merger.

   ITEM 7.   MATERIAL TO BE FILED AS EXHIBITS.

        The  Reporting  Person  hereby  incorporates   by  reference  the
   Agreement  and Plan  of  Merger, dated  as  of  June 18,  1997,  among
   SparBank, First Midwest and FMB, and joined in by Geraldine C.  Cowlin
   and William  J. Cowlin for certain limited purposes specified therein,
   filed as  Exhibit 2  to First  Midwest's Current  Report on Form  8-K,
   dated  June  18,   1997,  which  includes  provisions   governing  the
   arrangements described under Item 4. <PAGE>





   CUSIP No.  320867104               13D            Page 5 of 6 Pages   



                                  SIGNATURE

        After  reasonable inquiry  and to  the best  of my  knowledge and
   belief, I certify that the information  set forth in this statement is
   true, complete and correct.

   October 9, 1997

                                      /s/       Geraldine C. Cowlin
                                      ----------------------------------
                                           Geraldine C. Cowlin<PAGE>





   CUSIP No.  320867104               13D            Page 6 of 6 Pages   




                                EXHIBIT INDEX

   Exhibit No.                        Description
   -----------                        ------------

   Exhibit 1           Agreement and Plan of Merger,
                       dated as of June 18, 1997, 
                       among SparBank, Incorporated, 
                       First Midwest Bancorp, Inc., 
                       and FMB Acquisition Corporation 
                       (incorporated by reference to 
                       Exhibit 2 to the Current Report 
                       on Form 8-K, dated June 18, 1997, 
                       filed by First Midwest Bancorp, 
                       Inc., Commission File No. 0-10967). 









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