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

OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: January 31, 2005 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * WARD JONATHAN P   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol SERVICEMASTER CO [SVM] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Chairman & CEO (Last) (First) (Middle) 3250 LACEY ROAD, SUITE 600 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 11/01/2004 (Street) DOWNERS GROVE, IL 60515-1700 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 par value 11/01/2004   A(1)   367,826 A $ 0 603,978 (2) D   Common stock $.01 par value               292 (3) I 401(k) plan

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
	Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.		SEC 1474 (9-02)

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

Employee Stock Option (Right to buy)

$ 10.5

01/09/2002

01/08/2011

Common Stock

1,630,000

1,630,000 (4)

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to buy)

$ 13.83

02/08/2003

02/07/2009

Common Stock

425,000

425,000 (5)

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to buy)

$ 13.87

02/28/2001

02/27/2007

Common Stock

3,605

3,605 (6)

D

2000 Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 9.88

03/18/2004

03/17/2013

Common Stock

172,000

172,000 (5)

D

2003 EIP Stock Appreciation Right

$ 10.73

02/13/2005

02/12/2014

Common Stock

190,000

190,000

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
WARD JONATHAN P 3250 LACEY ROAD, SUITE 600 DOWNERS GROVE, IL 60515-1700	X		Chairman & CEO

Signatures

Sandra L. Groman by power of attorney		11/03/2004
**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)	Shares were acquired as a restricted stock unit award, each unit representing the right to receive one share of ServiceMaster's common stock upon distribution.
(2)	Direct holdings include 4,216 shares acquired through the ServiceMaster Employee Share Purchase Plan during the months of April through September 2004 and 1,507 shares acquired through the ServiceMaster Dividend Reinvestment Plan during the months of May and August 2004.
(3)	Indirect holdings include 5 shares purchased through the ServiceMaster Profit Sharing and Retirement Plan during the months of April and July 2004.
(4)	Exercisable as to 380,000 shares on grant date (January 9, 2001) and becomes exercisable as to an additional 250,000 shares on December 31 in each of the years 2001 through 2005.
(5)	The option is exercisable in five equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of the grant.
(6)	The option was issued pursuant to the WeServeHomes.com, Inc. 2000 Option/Stock Issuance Plan and is subject to repurchase rights upon termination of employment according to the following: 25% of the shares lapse upon first anniversary of grant date and the remainder in a series of 36 successive equal monthly installments.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.