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                                                                       EXHIBIT 2

                               ARTICLES OF MERGER
                                     MERGING
                               FIRST WESTERN CORP.
                                      INTO
                             FIRSTIER BANCORP, INC.

                  THESE ARTICLES OF MERGER, dated this 14th day of September,
                  1999, pursuant to Section 7 -111-107 of the Colorado Business
                  Corporation Act (hereinafter referred to as the "Colorado
                  Act") and Section 21-20,134 of the Nebraska Business
                  Corporation Act (the "Nebraska Act"), are entered into by and
                  between FirsTier Bancorp, Inc. , a Colorado corporation, and
                  First Western Corp. , a Nebraska Corporation, which are
                  referred to collectively as the Constituent Corporations.
                  These Articles of Merger shall also serve as the plan of
                  merger referred to in Section 7 -111-104(2) of the Colorado
                  Act and Section 21-20, 132 of the Nebraska Act.

                  FIRST: FirsTier Bancorp, Inc. (hereinafter sometimes referred
                  to as the "Surviving Corporation") and First Western Corp.
                  (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "FWC") agree that FWC
                  shall be merged into the Surviving Corporation. The terms and
                  Conditions of the merger and the mode of carrying the same
                  into effect are as herein set forth in these Articles of
                  Merger.

                  SECOND: Firstier Bancorp, Inc, shall be the surviving
                  corporation.

                  THIRD: The principal office of the Surviving Corporation is
                  11210 Huron Street, Northglenn, Colorado 80234.

                  FOURTH: The principal office of FWC in Nebraska is 115 South
                  Walnut, Kimball, Nebraska 69145.

                  FIFTH: The board of directors of the Surviving Corporation, on
                  September 14th, 1999, by unanimous written consent of the
                  Board of Directors, duly adopted a resolution which declared
                  that a merger upon the terms and conditions set forth in these
                  Articles of Merger was advised, authorized and approved.

                  The board of directors of FWC, on September 14th, 1999, by
                  unanimous written consent of the Board of Directors, duly
                  adopted a resolution which declared that a merger upon the
                  terms and conditions set forth in these Articles of Merger was
                  advised, authorized and approved.

                  SIXTH: These Articles of Merger were duly submitted to and
                  approved by the affirmative vote of one hundred percent (100%)
                  of all of the votes entitled to be cast thereon pursuant to an
                  action by unanimous written consent of the shareholders of
                  Surviving Corporation, as permitted by the Colorado Act.



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                  These Articles and Plan of Merger were duly submitted to and
                  approved by the affirmative vote of one hundred percent (100%)
                  of all of the votes entitled to be cast thereon pursuant to an
                  action by unanimous written consent of the shareholders of FWC
                  as permitted by its Articles of Incorporation and Nebraska
                  Act.

                  SEVENTH: No amendment is made to the Articles of Incorporation
                  of the Surviving Corporation.

                  EIGHTH: The authorized and outstanding capital stock of FWC
                  and the Surviving Corporation are as follows:

                  A.       FWC is authorized to issue 50,000,000 shares of
                           common stock, $.001 par value, and 20,000,000 shares
                           of preferred stock, $.001 par value. There are
                           outstanding 144,440 shares of said common stock, said
                           common stock being entitled to vote, No shares of
                           preferred stock are outstanding.

                  B.       The Surviving Corporation is authorized to issue
                           50,000,000 shares of common stock and 20,000,000
                           shares of preferred stock. There are outstanding 100
                           shares of common stock, said common stock being
                           entitled to vote, and no shares of said preferred
                           stock are are outstanding.

                  NINTH: The manner and basis of converting or exchanging the
                  issued and outstanding stock of each of the Constituent
                  Corporations into different stock or other consideration and
                  the treatment of any issued stock of the Constituent
                  Corporations not to be so converted or exchanged on the
                  Effective Date (as defined below) of the merger contemplated
                  hereby shall be as follows:

                  A.       Each outstanding share of the common stock of FWC,
                           shall thereupon, and without the surrender of stock
                           certificates or any other action, be converted into
                           one fully paid and nonassessable outstanding share of
                           the common stock of the Surviving Corporation.
                           Certificates representing outstanding shares of the
                           common stock of FWC shall thenceforth be deemed to
                           represent the same number of shares of the common
                           stock of the Surviving Corporation and the holders
                           thereof shall have all of the same rights which they
                           would have had if such certificates had been issued
                           by the Surviving Corporation;

                  B.       The 100 shares of common stock of the Surviving
                           Corporation owned by FWC shall be canceled and
                           retired, all rights in respect thereof shall cease
                           and the capital of the Surviving Corporation shall be
                           reduced by the FWC capital applicable to such shares;
                           and

                  C.       All outstanding options, warrants and other
                           agreements to purchase shares of the common stock of
                           FWC shall become, respectively, options, warrants and
                           agreements to purchase, at the same prices and on the
                           same terms and conditions, the same number of shares
                           of the common stock of the Surviving Corporation.


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                  TENTH: Upon the Effective Date:

                  A.       the assets and liabilities of the FWC shall be taken
                           up on, the books of the Surviving Corporation at the
                           amount at which they shall at that time be carried on
                           the books of FWC, and

                  B.       all of the rights, privileges, immunities, powers,
                           purposes, and franchises of the FWC, and all
                           property, real, personal and mixed, and all debts due
                           to FWC on whichever account shall be vested in the
                           Surviving Corporation, and all property rights,
                           privileges, immunities, powers, purposes and
                           franchises, and all and every other interest shall be
                           thereafter the property of the Surviving Corporation
                           as they were of FWC, and all debts, liabilities,
                           obligations and duties of FWC shall thenceforth
                           attach to the Surviving Corporation and may be
                           enforced against it to the same extent as if said
                           debts, liabilities, obligations and duties had been
                           incurred or contracted by it.

                           The merger provided for by these Articles of merger
                  shall become effective upon filling of these Articles with the
                  Colorado Secretary of State and the Nebraska Secretary of
                  State (the "Effective Date"), and the separate existence of
                  FWC, except insofar as continued by statute, shall cease on
                  the Effective Date.

                           IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the Constituent
                  Corporations, pursuant to the approval and authority duly
                  given by resolutions or unanimous written consents adopted by
                  their respective Boards of Directors, have caused these
                  Articles and Plan of Merger to be signed in their respective
                  corporation names by their respective officers and witnessed
                  or attested by their respective Secretaries as of the 14th day
                  of September, 1999, each of whom affirms, under penalties of
                  perjury, that the facts stated herein are true.

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<CAPTION>
                                                                                FIRST WESTERN CORP.
                  ATTEST
<S>                                                                    <C>
                  /s/ Michael J. Nelson                                By:     /s/ Timothy D. Wiens
                  ---------------------                                   -------------------------
                  Michael J. Nelson, Secretary                         Timothy D. Wiens, Vice Chairman

                                                                       FIRSTIER BANCORP, INC.

                  ATTEST
                  /s/ Ronald B. James                                  By:     /s/ Timothy D. Wiens
                  -------------------                                     -------------------------
                  Ronald B. James, Secretary                              Timothy D. Wiens, President
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