FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * MITCHEM STEVEN G   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol GREAT SOUTHERN BANCORP INC [GSBC] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) __X__ Other (specify below) Senior Vice Pres of Subsidiary (Last) (First) (Middle) 3990 E. WILSHIRE DRIVE 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 01/09/2009 (Street) SPRINGFIELD, MO 65809 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common stock 01/09/2009   P   723 A $ 11.7 77,756 D

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Option to purchase

$ 11.8908

(1)

01/20/2009

Common stock

1,200

1,200

D

Option to purchase

$ 7.922

(2)

09/20/2010

Common stock

5,000

6,200

D

Option to purchase

$ 12.8975

(3)

09/24/2011

Common stock

6,000

12,200

D

Option to purchase

$ 18.1875

(4)

09/18/2012

Common stock

6,000

18,200

D

Option to purchase

$ 20.12

(5)

09/25/2013

Common stock

7,000

25,200

D

Option to purchase

$ 32.07

(6)

09/22/2014

Common stock

5,250

30,450

D

Option to purchase

$ 30.34

(7)

09/20/2015

Common stock

5,250

35,700

D

Option to purchase

$ 30.66

(8)

10/18/2016

Common stock

4,200

39,900

D

Option to purchase

$ 25.48

(9)

10/17/2017

Common stock

4,200

44,100

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
MITCHEM STEVEN G 3990 E. WILSHIRE DRIVE SPRINGFIELD, MO 65809				Senior Vice Pres of Subsidiary

Signatures

Matt Snyder, Attorney-in-fact for Steven G. Mitchem		01/13/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	600 shares vest on 1/20/2003 and 1/20/2004
(2)	1,250 shares vest on 9/20/2002, 9/20/2003, 9/20/2004 and 9/20/2005
(3)	1,500 shares vest on 9/24/2003, 9/24/2004, 9/24/2005 and 9/24/2006
(4)	1,500 shares vest on 9/18/2004, 9/18/2005, 9/18/2006 and 9/18/2007
(5)	1,750 shares vest on 9/25/2005, 9/25/2006, 9/25/2007 and 9/25/2008
(6)	1,148 shares vest on 12/31/2005 and 309 shares vest on 9/22/2006, 1,169 shares vest on 9/22/2007 and 1,312 shares vest on 9/22/2008 and 9/22/2009
(7)	1,878 shares vest on 12/31/2005 and 748 shares vest on 9/20/2008 and 1,312 shares vest on 9/20/2009 and 9/20/2010
(8)	1,050 shares vest on 10/18/2008, 10/18/2009, 10/18/2010 and 10/18/2011
(9)	1,050 shares vest on 10/17/2009, 10/17/2010, 10/17/2011 and 10/17/2012

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