NEWS RELEASE                     EXHIBIT NO. 99

                     [LANDMARK BANCSHARES, INC. LETTERHEAD]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                       Larry Schugart, President or
October 18, 1996                       James F. Strovas, Sr Vice-President
                                       Phone:  316-227-8111

LANDMARK  BANCSHARES,  INC., the holding  company for Landmark  Federal  Savings
Bank,  plans to repurchase  up to 92,649  shares of the Company's  Common Stock.
Larry Schugart,  President, said the Company has been authorized by its Board of
Directors to repurchase an additional 5% of its 1,852,996  outstanding shares of
common  stock.  The Company has received the  necessary  regulatory  approval to
initiate the repurchase program.

Schugart,  in making the  announcement,  indicated  that with the current  price
trading  at about 92% of book  value,  there is no better  way to add  franchise
value to the  institution,  or to give the  shareholder a better return on their
investment. The repurchases will be made in open market transactions, subject to
the  availability of stock.  The repurchased  shares will become treasury shares
and will be utilized for general corporate  purposes,  including the issuance of
shares in connection with the exercise of stock options.

The Company  completed  its  offering  of Common  Stock in  connection  with the
conversion of Landmark  Federal Savings Bank from a federally  chartered  mutual
savings  association  to a federally  chartered  stock savings bank on March 28,
1994. The Company sold 2,281,312 shares at $10.00 per share, raising $22,813,120
in gross proceeds.

Landmark  Federal Savings Bank with assets of over $210 million is headquartered
in Dodge City, Kansas with branch offices in Great Bend, Garden City, Hoisington
and LaCrosse.  The Company is traded on the NASDAQ  National Market System under
the symbol "LARK".




             STOCK TRADED ON NASDAQ NATIONAL MARKET SYSTEM UNDER THE
                                  SYMBOL "LARK"
  CENTRAL AND SPRUCE/P.O. BOX 1437/DODGE CITY, KANSAS 67801-1437/(316)227-8111
    OFFICES IN: DODGE CITY - GARDEN CITY - GREAT BEND - HOISINGTON - LACROSSE