EXHIBIT 31.1

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


I, William J. Small, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of First Defiance
     Financial Corp;

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 report;

4.   The registrant's other certifying officer(s) 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, or caused 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 controls and procedures, as of
           the end of the period covered by this report based on such
           evaluation; and

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

5.   The registrant's other certifying officer(s) 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
     functions):

     (a)   All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
           or operation of internal control 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:  August 9, 2004                    /s/ William J. Small
       --------------------              ----------------------------
                                           William J. Small
                                           Chairman, President and
                                           Chief Executive Officer