[COMPANY LOGO]        MARION CAPITAL
                                  HOLDINGS, INC.
                              100 West Third Street
                              Marion, Indiana 46952
                                 (317) 664-0556

                    ----------------------------------------
                    NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
                    ----------------------------------------

                         To Be Held On October 17, 1996

         Notice is hereby  given that the  Annual  Meeting  of  Shareholders  of
Marion  Capital  Holdings,  Inc.  (the  "Holding  Company")  will be held at the
Holiday Inn, 501 East Fourth Street, Marion,  Indiana, on Thursday,  October 17,
1996, at 10:00 A.M., Eastern Standard time.

         The Annual Meeting will be held for the following purposes:

         1.       Election  of  Directors.  Election of three  directors  of the
                  Holding Company to serve three-year terms expiring in 1999.

         2.       Ratification  of Auditors.  Ratification of the appointment of
                  Geo.  S.  Olive  &  Co.LLC  as  auditors  for  Marion  Capital
                  Holdings, Inc. for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997.

         3.       Other Business. Such other matters as may properly come before
                  the meeting or any adjournment thereof.

         Shareholders of record at the close of business on August 23, 1996, are
entitled to vote at the meeting or any adjournment thereof.

         We urge you to read the enclosed Proxy Statement  carefully so that you
may  be  informed  about  the  business  to  come  before  the  meeting,  or any
adjournment  thereof. At your earliest  convenience,  please sign and return the
accompanying proxy in the postage-paid envelope furnished for that purpose.

         A copy of our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1996, is
enclosed.  The  Annual  Report  is not a part of the proxy  soliciting  material
enclosed with this letter.


                                       By Order of the Board of Directors


                                       /s/ John M. Dalton
                                       -----------------------------------
                                       John M. Dalton, President and 
                                          Chief Executive Officer

Marion, Indiana
September 12, 1996


IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE PROXIES BE RETURNED PROMPTLY. THEREFORE, WHETHER OR NOT
YOU PLAN TO BE PRESENT IN PERSON AT THE ANNUAL  MEETING,  PLEASE SIGN,  DATE AND
COMPLETE  THE  ENCLOSED  PROXY AND  RETURN  IT IN THE  ENCLOSED  ENVELOPE  WHICH
REQUIRES NO POSTAGE IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES.



            [COMPANY LOGO]        MARION CAPITAL
                                  HOLDINGS, INC.
                              100 West Third Street
                              Marion, Indiana 46952
                                 (317) 664-0556

                                 ---------------
                                 PROXY STATEMENT
                                 ---------------

                                       FOR
                         ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
                                October 17, 1996

         This Proxy Statement is being furnished to the holders of common stock,
without par value (the "Common Stock"),  of Marion Capital  Holdings,  Inc. (the
"Holding Company"), an Indiana corporation,  in connection with the solicitation
of proxies by the Board of Directors  of the Holding  Company to be voted at the
Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held at 10:00 A.M.,  Eastern Standard Time,
on October  17,  1996,  at the Holiday  Inn,  501 East  Fourth  Street,  Marion,
Indiana,  and at any  adjournment  of such meeting.  The principal  asset of the
Holding Company consists of 100% of the issued and outstanding  shares of common
stock, $.01 par value per share, of First Federal Savings Bank of Marion ("First
Federal").  This Proxy Statement is expected to be mailed to the shareholders on
or about September 12, 1996.

         The proxy  solicited  hereby,  if properly  signed and  returned to the
Holding  Company and not revoked  prior to its use,  will be voted in accordance
with the instructions  contained therein. If no contrary instructions are given,
each proxy received will be voted for each of the matters  described  below and,
upon the  transaction  of such other  business as may  properly  come before the
meeting,  in  accordance  with the best  judgment  of the persons  appointed  as
proxies.

         Any  shareholder  giving a proxy has the power to revoke it at any time
before it is exercised by (i) filing with the  Secretary of the Holding  Company
written  notice  thereof  (Larry G.  Phillips,  100 West Third  Street,  Marion,
Indiana  46952),  (ii) submitting a duly executed proxy bearing a later date, or
(iii) by appearing at the Annual Meeting and giving the Secretary  notice of his
or her intention to vote in person.  Proxies  solicited  hereby may be exercised
only at the Annual Meeting and any adjournment  thereof and will not be used for
any other meeting.

                 VOTING SECURITIES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF

         Only shareholders of record at the close of business on August 23, 1996
("Voting Record Date"),  will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.  On the
Voting Record Date,  there were 1,838,442  shares of the Common Stock issued and
outstanding,  and the Holding  Company  had no other class of equity  securities
outstanding.  Each share of Common  Stock is  entitled to one vote at the Annual
Meeting on all matters properly  presented at the Annual Meeting.  A majority of
the votes  entitled to be cast, in person or by proxy,  at the Annual Meeting is
necessary for a quorum. In determining whether a quorum is present, shareholders
who abstain, cast broker non-votes, or withhold authority to vote on one or more
director nominees will be deemed present at the Annual Meeting.

         The  following  table  sets forth  certain  information  regarding  the
beneficial  ownership of the Common Stock as of August 23, 1996,  by each person
who is known by the Holding Company to own beneficially 5% or more of the Common
Stock.  Unless otherwise  indicated,  the named beneficial owner has sole voting
and dispositive power with respect to the shares reported.



                                         Number of Shares of
   Name and Address of                Common Stock Beneficially       Percent of
    Beneficial Owner                            Owned                  Class (1)
- --------------------------------     --------------------------       ----------
Kennedy Capital Management                    138,725(2)                 7.5%
425 N. New Ballas Road, Suite 181
St. Louis, Missouri  63141-6821

- ----------
(1)    Based upon 1,838,442 shares of Common Stock  outstanding,  which does not
       incude  options  for  52,698  shares of Common  Stock  granted to certain
       directors,  officers,  and  employees  of the  Holding  Company  and  its
       subsidiaries, which are currently exercisable.

(2)    In a Schedule 13G filed with the Securities and Exchange  Commission (the
       "SEC"),  the entity listed above indicates it may be the beneficial owner
       of the foregoing shares which are actually held by discretionary accounts
       for which Kennedy Capital  Management,  Inc. acts as investment  advisor.
       The Schedule 13G  indicates  the advisor and the accounts  share power to
       dispose  and vote the  shares.  This  information  does not  reflect  any
       changes in those  shareholdings which may have occurred since the date of
       the filing of the Schedule 13G.

                       PROPOSAL I -- ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

         The Board of Directors,  by resolution  adopted pursuant to the By-Laws
of the Holding Company, established that the Board of Directors shall consist of
seven members. Following the death of Merritt B. McVicker, the Holding Company's
former  Chairman,  and  effective  September 1, 1996,  the size of the Board was
increased from six to seven members, Jerry D. McVicker,  Merritt McVicker's son,
was  elected to fill the  vacancy on the Board  created  by his  father's  death
(which term  expires in 1997),  and Steven L. Banks was added to the Board for a
term expiring in 1999. The By-Laws  provide that the Board of Directors is to be
divided into three classes as nearly equal in number as possible. The members of
each  class  are to be  elected  for a term  of  three  years  and  until  their
successors  are elected and  qualified.  One class of directors is to be elected
annually.  The nominees for director this year are W. Gordon  Coryea,  George L.
Thomas,  and Steven L. Banks,  each of whom is a current director of the Holding
Company.  If elected by the  shareholders  at the Annual  Meeting,  the terms of
Messrs. Coryea, Thomas, and Banks will expire in 1999.

         Unless  otherwise  directed,  each proxy  executed  and  returned  by a
shareholder  will be voted for the election of the nominees listed below. If any
person named as a nominee should be unable or unwilling to stand for election at
the time of the Annual  Meeting,  the proxy holders will nominate and vote for a
replacement  nominee  recommended  by the Board of Directors.  At this time, the
Board of Directors  knows of no reason why the nominees  listed below may not be
able to serve as directors if elected.

         The following table sets forth certain information  regarding directors
continuing  in office and the  nominees  for the  position  of  director  of the
Holding  Company,  including  the number and  percent of shares of Common  Stock
beneficially  owned  by  such  persons  as of the  Voting  Record  Date.  Unless
otherwise  indicated,  each person in the table below has sole investment and/or
voting power with respect to the shares  shown as  benefically  owned by him. No
nominee for  director is related to any other  nominee for director or executive
officer of the Holding Company by blood, marriage, or adoption, and there are no
arrangements or understandings between any nominee and any other person pursuant
to which  such  nominee  was  selected.  The table also sets forth the number of
shares of Holding  Company Common Stock  benefically  owned by all directors and
executive officers of the Holding Company as a group.





                                                                     Director
                                                                       of the         Common Stock
                                                   Director of        Holding      Beneficially Owned
                             Expiration of        First Federal       Company        as of August 23      Percentage
Name                       Term as Director           Since            Since             1996(1)           of Class
- ------------------         ----------------       -------------     -----------    -------------------    -----------
Director Nominees
                                                                                                 
Steven L. Banks                   1999               1996              1996                500                 .03%
W. Gordon Coryea                  1999               1965              1992             25,805(2)              1.4%
George L. Thomas                  1999               1962              1992             33,706(3)              1.8%

Directors Continuing in Office
Robert D. Burchard                1997               1969              1992             47,468(4)              2.6%
John M. Dalton                    1998               1974              1992             46,617(5)              2.5%
Jerry D. McVicker                 1997               1996              1996             36,233(6)              2.0%
Jack O. Murrell                   1998               1974              1992             23,706(7)              1.3%

Executive Officer
Larry G. Phillips,
Senior Vice President,
Secretary and Treasurer            --                 --                --              19,592(8)              1.1%

All directors and executive
officers as a group (8 persons)                                                        233,627(9)            12.35%


- ----------
(1)  Based upon information furnished by the respective director nominees. Under
     applicable  regulations,  shares are deemed to be  beneficially  owned by a
     person if he or she directly or indirectly  has or shares the power to vote
     or dispose of the shares,  whether or not he or she has any economic  power
     with respect to the shares. Includes shares benefically owned by members of
     the immediate families of the director nominees residing in their homes.

(2)  Of these shares,  2,746 are owned jointly by Mr. Coryea and his wife, 7,644
     are subject to a stock option  granted under the Marion  Capital  Holdings,
     Inc.  Stock  Option Plan (the  "Option  Plan") and 2,415 are held under the
     First Federal  Savings Bank of Marion  Recognition  and Retention Plan (the
     "RRP").

(3)  Of these  shares,  19,551  are held in a trust as to which Mr.  Thomas is a
     trustee and his wife is a beneficiary, 10,083 are subject to a stock option
     granted under the Option Plan, and 2,415 are held under the RRP.

(4)  Of these shares,  41,479 are owned jointly by Mr. Burchard and his wife and
     5,989 are held under the RRP.

(5)  Of these  shares,  16,134  are owned  jointly  by Mr.  Dalton and his wife,
     21,380 shares are subject to a stock option  granted under the Option Plan,
     and 5,603 are held under the RRP.

(6)  Includes 6,490 shares owned jointly by Mr. McVicker and his wife.

(7)  Of these shares, 11,200 are held jointly by Mr. Murrell and his wife, 7,591
     are subject to a stock option  granted under the Option Plan, and 2,415 are
     held under the RRP.

(8)  Of these  shares,  11,547 are held  jointly by Mr.  Phillips  and his wife,
     6,000 are subject to a stock  option  granted  under the Option  Plan,  and
     1,545 are held under the RRP.

(9)  The total of such shares  includes  52,698 shares  subject to stock options
     granted  under the Option Plan and 20,382  shares  which are held under the
     RRP.

Presented  below is certain  information  concerning  the directors and director
nominees of the Holding Company:

         Steven L.  Banks  (age 46) has been  Executive  Vice  President  of the
Holding Company and First Federal since September 1, 1996. Theretofore he served
as President  and Chief  Executive  Officer of Fidelity  Federal  Savings  Bank,
Marion, Indiana since prior to 1991.

         Robert D. Burchard  (age 65) has been  Chairman of the Holding  Company
and First  Federal  since  August,  1996 and  theretofore  Vice  Chairman of the
Holding Company and First Federal since February, 1996. Theretofore he served as
President of First Federal since 1983 and of the Holding  Company since 1992. He
also serves as President of First Marion  Service  Corporation,  a subsidiary of
First Federal ("First Marion").



         W.  Gordon  Coryea  (age 71) is an  attorney  at law  based in  Marion,
Indiana, and has served as attorney for First Federal since 1965.

         John M. Dalton  (age 62) has served as  President  and Chief  Executive
Officer of the Holding  Company and First  Federal  since  February,  1996,  and
became Vice Chairman of the Holding  Company and First Federal in August,  1996.
Theretofore  he served as Executive  Vice  President of First Federal since 1983
and of the  Holding  Company  since  1992.  He also  serves  as  Executive  Vice
President of First Marion.

         Jerry D.  McVicker  (age 51) has served as Director of  Operations  for
Marion Community Schools (education) since April, 1996. Theretofore he served as
Assistant Principal of Marion High School since prior to 1991.

         Jack O. Murrell (age 73) served as President of Murrell and Keal, Inc.,
since 1958 (a retailer located in Marion, Indiana) until his retirement in 1993.

         George L. Thomas (age 79) served as Chairman of the Foster-Forbes Glass
Co., a division of the  National  Can  Corporation,  located in Marion,  Indiana
until his retirement in 1984.

         THE  DIRECTORS  SHALL  BE  ELECTED  UPON  RECEIPT  OF  A  PLURALITY  OF
AFFIRMATIVE VOTES CAST AT THE ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING.  Plurality means that
individuals  who receive the largest  number of votes cast are elected up to the
maximum  number of directors to be chosen at the  meeting.  Abstentions,  broker
non-votes,  and instructions on the accompanying  proxy to withhold authority to
vote for one or more of the  nominees  will  result in the  respective  nominees
receiving fewer votes.  However,  the number of votes otherwise  received by the
nominee  will not be  reduced by such  action.  

The Board of Directors and its Committees

         During the fiscal year ended June 30,  1996,  the Board of Directors of
the Holding Company met eight times. No director  attended fewer than 75% of the
aggregate  total number of meetings  during the last fiscal year of the Board of
Directors  of the  Holding  Company  held  while he  served as  director  and of
meetings of  committees  which he served  during that fiscal  year.  Among other
committees, the Board of Directors of the Holding Company has an Audit Committee
and a Stock Compensation  Committee.  All committee members are appointed by the
Board of Directors.

         The  Audit  Committee,   comprised  of  Messrs.   Coryea  and  Murrell,
recommends the appointment of the Holding Company's independent accountants, and
meets with them to outline the scope and review the  results of such audit.  The
Audit  Committee meets as needed and held one meeting during the year ended June
30, 1996.

         The Stock  Compensation  Committee  administers  the Holding  Company's
Stock  Option  Plan and the RRP.  The  members  of that  Committee  are  Messrs.
Murrell, and Thomas. It did not meet during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1996.

         The Board of Directors  nominated  the slate of directors  set forth in
the Proxy Statement. Although the Board of Directors of the Holding Company will
consider  nominees  recommended by shareholders,  it has not actively  solicited
recommendations for nominees from shareholders nor has it established procedures
for this  purpose.  Article  III,  Section 12 of the Holding  Company's  By-Laws
provides  that  shareholders  entitled to vote for the election of directors may
name  nominees  for  election  to the Board of  Directors  but there are certain
requirements  that must be  satisfied  in order to do so.  Among  other  things,
written notice of a proposed nomination must be received by the Secretary of the
Holding  Company  not less than 60 days prior to the Annual  Meeting;  provided,
however,  that in the event that less than 70 days' notice or public  disclosure
of the date of the  meeting is given or made to  shareholders  (which  notice or
public  disclosure  includes  the date of the Annual  Meeting  specified  in the
Holding  Company's  By-Laws if the Annual Meeting is held on such date),  notice
must be received not later than the close of business on the 10th day  following
the day on which  such  notice  of the date of the  meeting  was  mailed or such
public disclosure was made. 

Management Remuneration and Related Transactions

         Remuneration of Named Executive Officers

         No cash  compensation is paid directly by the Holding Company to any of
its executive officers. Each of such officers is compensated by First Federal.



         The following table sets forth information as to annual,  long-term and
other compensation for services in all capacities to the Holding Company and its
subsidiaries for the last three fiscal years of (i) the individual who served as
the chief executive  officer of the Holding Company during the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1996 and (ii) each executive  officer of the Holding Company serving as
such during the 1996 fiscal year, who earned over $100,000 in salary and bonuses
during that year (the "Named Executive Officers").




                           Summary Compensation Table
                                                                             Long Term Compensation
                                              Annual  Compensation                   Awards
                                                               Other Annual  Restricted                 All Other
                            Fiscal                             Compensation  Stock                    Compensation
Name and Principal Position  Year      Salary ($)Bonus ($)(1)     ($) (2)    Awards ($)(3)  Options (#)    ($)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                         
Robert D. Burchard           1996     $130,683     $33,300         --              --            --        --
President and Director (4)   1995     $176,500     $31,200         --              --            --        --
                             1994     $164,800     $29,100         --              --            --        --

John M. Dalton               1996     $171,350     $30,000         --              --            --        --
Executive Vice President     1995     $160,450     $28,100         --              --            --        --
and Director (4)             1994     $149,800     $26,200         --              --            --        --

Larry G. Phillips            1996     $ 95,350     $15,500         --              --            --        --
Vice President, Secretary    1995     $ 89,200     $14,500         --              --            --        --
and Treasurer (4)            1994     $ 83,050     $15,000         --              --            --        --

- ----------

(1)      The bonus amounts were paid under First Federal's bonus plan.

(2)      The Named  Executive  Officers of the Holding  Company  receive certain
         perquisites,  but the  incremental  cost of providing such  perquisites
         does not exeed the lesser of $50,000 or 10% of the officer's salary and
         bonus.

(3)      The value of the restricted  stock awards was determined by multiplying
         the fair market  value of the Common  Stock on the date the shares were
         awarded by the number of shares awarded.  These shares vest over a five
         year period.  As of June 30, 1996,  the number and value of  restricted
         shares  held  by  Mr.   Burchard   were  5,989  shares  and   $124,272,
         respectively;   for  Mr.   Dalton  were  5,603   shares  and   $116,262
         respectively;  and for Mr.  Phillips  were 1,545  shares  and  $35,059,
         respectively.  Dividends paid on the  restricted  shares are payable to
         the grantee and are not included in the table.

(4)      In February,  1996, Robert D. Burchard  retired,  John M. Dalton became
         President and Chief  Executive  Officer,  and Larry G. Phillips  became
         Senior Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.

         Stock Options

         The following table includes  information  relating to option exercises
by the Named  Executive  Officers  during  fiscal  1996 and the number of shares
covered  by  exercisable  and  unexercisable  stock  options  held by the  Named
Executive  Officers  as of June 30,  1996.  Also  reported  are the  values  for
"in-the-money"  options  (options  whose exercise price is lower than the market
value of the shares at fiscal year end) which  represent the spread  between the
exercise price of any such existing stock options and the fiscal year-end market
price of the stock.

               Aggregate Option Exercises in Last Fiscal Year and
        Outstanding Stock Option Grants and Value Realized as of 6/30/96





                                                                Number of                     Value of Unexercised
                                                          Securities Underlying                   In-the-Money
                                                            Unexercised Options                    Options at
                     Shares Acquired      Value            at Fiscal Year End (#)            Fiscal Year End ($) (1)
Name                  on Exercise (#)   Realized       Exercisable     Unexercisable      Exercisable   Unexercisable
- ----                  ---------------   --------       -----------     -------------      -----------   -------------
                                                                                            
Robert D. Burchard       31,395        $253,765              --                --                --            --
John M. Dalton            7,600        $ 89,125         21,380                 --           $229,835           --
Larry G. Phillips           728       $   7,007          6,000                 --           $ 64,500           --

- ----------

(1)      Amounts  reflecting  gains  on  outstanding  options  are  based on the
         average  between  the high and low  prices  for the  shares on June 30,
         1996, which was $20.75 per share.

       No stock  options were granted by the Holding  Company  during the fiscal
year ended June 30, 1996.

         Compensation of Directors

         All  directors  of First  Federal  receive a  retainer  fee of $550 per
month, plus a fee of $550 per Board meeting attended. All directors receive $100
for each special  meeting of the Board  attended.  Members of Board  Committees,
other than  officers,  are paid a separate  fee of $75 per  meeting,  unless the
meetings are unusually  long in which case $100 per meeting is paid. As Chairman
of the Board of First Federal,  Mr. Burchard receives a retainer fee of $825 per
month,  plus a fee of $825 per  Board  meeting  attended.  Mr.  Dalton,  as Vice



Chairman  of the Board of First  Federal,  receives a  retainer  fee of $750 per
month, plus a fee of $750 per Board Meeting attended.

         Directors  of the Holding  Company are paid a fee of $50 per meeting if
the  meeting  is held on the same day as a First  Federal  meeting  and $100 per
meeting if the Holding Company meets on a different day.

         Supplemental  Retirement  Plan for  Directors.  Effective  May 1, 1992,
First Federal  entered into deferred  compensation  agreements  with each of its
directors,  including Messrs. Burchard and Dalton. These agreements provide that
upon  retirement  from the Board after  attaining age 70, each director shall be
entitled to receive annual  benefits in the following  amounts for the following
number of years following such termination of service as a director:

                                                      Period Remaining Payable
 Director                     Annual Payment              at June 30, 1996
 --------                     --------------          ------------------------
 Robert D. Burchard                 $8,568                     10 years
 John M. Dalton                     $9,960                     10 years
 James O.  Murrell                 $10,500                 8 years, 8 months
 W. Gordon Coryea                   $8,748                 8 years, 7 months
 George L. Thomas                  $10,392                 8 years, 9 months

         At the request of a director  and subject to First  Federal's  consent,
payments may be made in a lump sum rather than annual  installments.  A director
may also elect to receive his benefits upon  attaining age 70 even if he remains
on the Board of Directors.  If service is  terminated,  the director may request
acceleration of payments based upon the accruals to date.

         If the director  dies prior to attaining age 70, his  beneficiary  will
receive  annual  payments  equal to the Board fees paid by First  Federal in the
twelve  months  immediately  prior to his death for a period of 15 years.  If he
dies after his benefits  commence,  his beneficiary  will be entitled to receive
the remaining payments over the balance of the applicable payment period.

         A director has the option of increasing his benefits  payable under the
plan by deferring a larger amount of his directors fees to help fund the payment
of such increased benefits, although no director has elected to do so.

         First  Federal  for the fiscal  year ended  June 30,  1996,  accrued an
expense  for this plan of  $25,900,  consisting  of  interest  on this  deferred
liability which accrues at an annual rate of 10.5%.

         Death Benefit Agreements with Directors. First Federal, as of April 30,
1988,  entered into an agreement  with Mr.  Coryea which  provides that upon his
death his  beneficiary  will be  entitled to receive  for a 15-year  period,  an
annual  payment of $26,000.  The payment of these death  benefits is conditioned
upon the continuous  service of Mr. Coryea for a period of five years  following
the adoption of the plan and until attaining age 70.

         First Federal has purchased  paid-up life insurance on the lives of the
directors covered under the supplemental retirement plan for directors and death
benefit  agreement  described above, to fund the benefits  available under these
plans.

         Transactions With Certain Related Persons

         First  Federal  may make  available  to its  directors,  officers,  and
employees real estate  mortgage loans secured by their  principal  residence and
other loans.  These loans are made in the ordinary  course of business  with the
same collateral, interest rates and underwriting criteria as those of comparable
transactions prevailing at the time and do not involve more than the normal risk
of collectibility or present other unfavorable features.

         W. Gordon  Coryea,  a director  of both the  Holding  Company and First
Federal,   serves  as  counsel  to  First  Federal  in   connection   with  loan
delinquencies  and  provides  routine  legal  work  such  as  deed  preparation,
foreclosures and preparation of other legal documents.  Mr. Coryea received fees
of $30,950 during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1996, for such services.  First
Federal expects to continue using Mr. Coryea's  services for such matters in the
current fiscal year.




                     PROPOSAL II -- RATIFICATION OF AUDITORS

         The  Board  of  Directors   proposes  for  the   ratification   of  the
shareholders  at the Annual  Meeting the  appointment of Geo. S. Olive & Co.LLC,
certified public accountants,  as independent auditors for the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1996.  Geo. S. Olive & Co.LLC has served as auditors for First  Federal
since 1979.  A  representative  of Geo. S. Olive & Co.LLC will be present at the
Annual  Meeting with the  opportunity  to make a statement if he so desires.  He
will also be available to respond to any appropriate questions  shareholders may
have.

             SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE

         Section  16(a) of the  1934 Act  requires  that the  Holding  Company's
officers  and  directors  and  persons  who own  more  than  10% of the  Holding
Company's  Common Stock file reports of ownership and changes in ownership  with
the SEC.  Officers,  directors and greater than 10% shareholders are required by
SEC  regulations to furnish the Holding Company with copies of all Section 16(a)
forms that they file.

         Based solely on its review of the copies of such forms  received by it,
and/or written  representations  from certain  reporting persons that no Forms 5
were required for those persons,  the Holding  Company  believes that during the
fiscal  year ended June 30,  1996,  all filing  requirements  applicable  to its
officers,  directors  and greater  than 10%  beneficial  owners with  respect to
Section 16(a) of the 1934 Act were satisfied in a timely manner.

                              SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

         Any proposal  which a shareholder  wishes to have presented at the next
Annual Meeting of the Holding Company must be received at the main office of the
Holding  Company for the inclusion in the proxy statement no later than 120 days
in  advance of  September  12,  1997.  Any such  proposal  should be sent to the
attention  of the  Secretary  of the Holding  Company at 100 West Third  Street,
Marion, Indiana 46952.

                                  OTHER MATTERS

         Management  is not aware of any  business  to come  before  the  Annual
Meeting other than those matters described in the Proxy Statement.  However,  if
any other matters should properly come before the Annual Meeting, it is intended
that the  proxies  solicited  hereby  will be voted with  respect to those other
matters in accordance with the judgment of the persons voting the proxies.

         The cost of  solicitation  of  proxies  will be  borne  by the  Holding
Company.   The  Holding  Company  will  reimburse   brokerage  firms  and  other
custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for reasonable expenses incurred by them in
sending proxy material to the beneficial owners of the Common Stock. In addition
to  solicitation  by mail,  directors,  officers,  and  employees of the Holding
Company  may solicit  proxies  personally  or by  telephone  without  additional
compensation.

         Each  shareholder  is urged to  complete,  date and sign the  proxy and
return it promptly in the enclosed envelope.

                                       By Order of the Board of Directors


                                       /s/ John M. Dalton
                                       -----------------------------------
                                       John M. Dalton, President and 
                                          Chief Executive Officer


September 12, 1996




[FRONT OF PROXY CARD]

REVOCABLE PROXY            MARION CAPITAL HOLDINGS, INC.
                         Annual Meeting of Shareholders
                                October 17, 1996

         The  undersigned  hereby appoints John M. Dalton and Larry G. Phillips,
with full  powers of  substitution,  to act as  attorneys  and  proxies  for the
undersigned to vote all shares of common stock of Marion Capital Holdings,  Inc.
which the  undersigned is entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders
to be held at the Holiday  Inn,  501 East Fourth  Street,  Marion,  Indiana,  on
Thursday,  October  17,  1996,  at 10:00 A.M.,  and at any and all  adjournments
thereof, as follows:

1.   The election as directors of all nominees listed below, except as marked to
     the contrary

                  [ ] FOR                  [ ] VOTE WITHHELD


INSTRUCTIONS: To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee, strike a
line through the nominee's name on the list below:

     Steven L. Banks          W. Gordon Coryea          George L. Thomas
                       (each for a three year term)


4.   Ratification  of the  appointment of Geo. S. Olive & Co.LLC as auditors for
     the year ending June 30, 1997.

      [ ] FOR                [ ] AGAINST                 [ ] ABSTAIN


In their  discretion,  the proxies are  authorized to vote on any other business
that may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

 The Board of Directors recommends a vote "FOR" each of the listed propositions.

           THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

This Proxy may be revoked at any time prior to the voting thereof.

The undersigned  acknowledges receipt from Marion Capital Holdings,  Inc., prior
to the execution of this Proxy, of Notice of the Meeting,  a Proxy Statement and
an Annual Report to Shareholders.



[BACK OF PROXY CARD]

           THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

     Should the  undersigned  be present and elect to vote at the Annual Meeting
or at any  adjournment  thereof and after  notification  to the Secretary of the
Corporation  at the  Meeting of the  shareholder's  decision to  terminate  this
Proxy,  then the power of such attorneys and proxies shall be deemed  terminated
and of no further force and effect.

                         The   undersigned   acknowledges   receipt   from   the
                    Corporation  prior to  execution  of this Proxy of Notice of
                    the Annual  Meeting  and  related  Proxy  Statement  and the
                    Corporation's  Annual Report to Shareholders  for the fiscal
                    year ended June 30, 1996.

                    Dated:               , 1996
                                                NUMBER OF SHARES




                    -------------------------      ----------------------------
                    Print Name of Shareholder      Print Name of Shareholder



                    -------------------------      ----------------------------
                    Signature of Shareholder       Signature of Shareholder

                    Please sign exactly as your name appears above on this card.
                    When signing as attorney, executor,  administrator,  trustee
                    or guardian, please give your full title. If shares are held
                    jointly, each holder should sign.

                    PLEASE PROMPTLY COMPLETE,  DATE, SIGN AND MAIL THIS PROXY IN
                    THE ENCLOSED POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE.