Exhibit 99.2

                                                     CONTACT: James M. Roolf
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         (630) 875-7452
                                                     TRADED:  NASDAQ/NMS
                                                     SYMBOL:  FMBI


                            FIRST MIDWEST COMPLETES
                       ACQUISITION OF HERITAGE FINANCIAL


ITASCA, IL., JULY 1, 1998 -- First Midwest Bancorp, Inc.(NASDAQ: FMBI) announced
today that it has completed the acquisition of Heritage Financial Services,
Inc., a $1.3 billion banking company located in southwest suburban Chicago. It
is anticipated that Heritage Bank will change its name to First Midwest Bank
coincident with systems conversion in late October 1998.

With the acquisition First Midwest has assets of $5.1 billion and a market
capitalization exceeding $1.3 billion making it the premier independent suburban
Chicago banking franchise. It is the largest independent and ninth largest
overall deposit share holder in the nine county Chicago MSA enjoying a rank of
#1 or #2 in four of such counties. Of the Company's network of 72 offices 56 are
located in suburban Chicago.

Pursuant to the merger agreement, First Midwest will issue approximately 9.7
million shares of its common stock in exchange for all of the outstanding stock
of Heritage. Former Heritage shareholders will receive 0.7695 shares of First
Midwest common stock for each share of Heritage common stock in a tax free
exchange that will be accounted for as a pooling of interests. The value of the
transaction is approximately $425 million based on First Midwest's closing stock
price on June 30, 1998.

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At August 1998 meeting, the Board of Directors of First Midwest will appoint
former Heritage Directors Richard T. Wojcik, Jack Payan and John L. Sterling as
Directors of First Midwest to serve until 2001.

With assets of $5.1 billion, First Midwest is the third largest banking company
headquartered in Illinois and the premier independent suburban Chicago banking
company. It provides commercial banking, trust, investment management, mortgage
and related financial services to a variety of consumer, business and
governmental customers in 47 communities primarily in northern Illinois.

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