EXHIBIT 31.1

                  CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
            PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, James S. Haahr, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of First Midwest Financial,
Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as
of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

      a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
      our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
      registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us
      by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which
      this report is being prepared;

      b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
      procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
      effectiveness of the disclosure and procedures, as of the end of the
      period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

      c) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal
      control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant
      issuer's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal
      quarter in the case of an annual report) that as materially affected, or
      is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal
      control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our
most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

      a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
      operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are
      reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record,
      process, summarize and report financial information; and

      b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
      employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control
      over financial reporting.

Date: December 26, 2003


                                              /s/ James S. Haahr
                                              ---------------------------
                                              Chief Executive Officer