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                                                                    Exhibit 23.1






               CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS



         We have issued our report dated August 23, 2000, accompanying the
financial statements of Peoples Federal Savings Bank as contained in Amendment
No. 1 to the Registration Statement SB-2 and Amendment No. 1 to the Form AC of
PFS Bancorp, Inc. to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and
the Office of Thrift Supervision on or about August 2, 2001. We consent to the
use of the aforementioned reports in the Registration Statements and Prospectus
and to the use of our name as it appears under the caption "Experts."


/s/ Grant Thornton LLP

Cincinnati, Ohio
August 1, 2001