UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 13F

                               FORM 13F COVER PAGE

Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended:    March 31, 2004




Check here if Amendment [ ]; Amendment Number:

This Amendment (Check only one):        [ ] is a restatement.
                                        [ ] adds new holdings entries.

Institutional Investment Manager:

Name:                           United Fire & Casualty Company
Address:                        118 Second Ave., S.E.
                                Cedar Rapids, IA 52407

Form 13F File Number:           28-6427

The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom
it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized
to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and
complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements,
schedules, lists, and tables, are considered integral parts of this form.

Person Signing this Report on Behalf of the Reporting Manager:

Name:                           Dianne M. Lyons
Title:                          Controller
Phone:                          319-399-5723

Signature, Place and Date of Signing:

/s/ Dianne M. Lyons             Cedar Rapids,                  IA    05-14-2004
--------------------------------
Dianne M. Lyons

Report Type (Check only one.):

[X] 13F HOLDINGS REPORT. (Check here if all holdings of this reporting manager
are reported in this report.)

[ ] 13F NOTICE. (Check here if no holdings reported are in this report, and all
holdings are reported by other reporting manager(s).)

[ ] 13F COMBINATION REPORT. (Check here if a portion of the holdings for this
reporting manager are reported in this report and a portion are reported by
other reporting manager(s).)



FORM 13F SUMMARY PAGE

Report Summary:

Number of Other Included Managers:                   0

Form 13F Information Table Entry Total:             71

Form 13F Information Table Value Total:  $     130,743 (in thousands)

List of Other Included Managers:                  NONE



FORM 13F INFORMATION TABLE



                                TITLE OF                 VALUE    SHARES/  SH/  PUT/  INVSTMNT    OTHER   ----VOTING AUTHORITY----
       NAME OF ISSUER             CLASS      CUSIP     (x $1000)  PRN AMT  PRN  CALL  DSCRETN   MANAGERS    SOLE    SHARED   NONE
====================================================================================================================================
                                                                                            
Abbott Laboratories               Common  002824 10 0     6,576   160,000  SH           Sole              160,000
Agilysys Inc                      Common  00847J 10 5     2,726   231,187  SH           Sole              231,187
Agilysys Inc                      Common  00847J 10 5       570    48,384  SH           Sole               48,384
Alderwoods Group Inc              Common  014383 10 3       399    38,421  SH           Sole               38,421
Alliant Energy Corporation        Common  018802 10 8     1,042    40,000  SH           Sole               40,000
Alliant Energy Corporation        Common  018802 10 8     2,142    82,200  SH           Sole               82,200
ALLTEL Corporation                Common  020039 10 3       499    10,000  SH           Sole               10,000
ALLTEL Corporation                Common  020039 10 3       126     2,518  SH           Sole                2,518
ALLTEL Corporation                Common  020039 82 2       507    10,000  SH           Sole               10,000
Ameren Corporation                Common  023608 20 1       699    25,000  SH           Sole               25,000
American Strategic Inc Port II    Common  030099 10 5       356    25,420  SH           Sole               25,420
Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc      Common  035229 10 3       204     4,000  SH           Sole                4,000
BCE Inc                           Common  05534B 10 9       341    16,200  SH           Sole               16,200
BRE Properties Inc                Common  05564E 10 6       618    18,000  SH           Sole               18,000
Bank of America Corporation       Common  060505 10 4     5,669    70,000  SH           Sole               70,000
Bank One Corporation              Common  06423A 10 3     2,385    43,740  SH           Sole               43,740
Bell South Corporation            Common  079860 10 2       443    16,000  SH           Sole               16,000
Bemis Company Inc                 Common  081437 10 5       816    31,400  SH           Sole               31,400
Boeing Company                    Common  097023 10 5     1,232    30,000  SH           Sole               30,000
Boeing Company                    Common  097023 10 5       205     5,000  SH           Sole                5,000
Burlington Northern Santa Fe      Common  12189T 10 4       509    16,158  SH           Sole               16,158
Burlington Resources Inc          Common  122014 10 3       444     6,972  SH           Sole                6,972
Cincinnati Financial Corp         Common  172062 10 1    12,622   290,500  SH           Sole              290,500
Cummins Inc                       Common  231021 10 6       292     5,000  SH           Sole                5,000
Cummins Inc                       Common  231021 10 6       850    14,545  SH           Sole               14,545
Dean Foods Company                Common  242370 10 4     1,612    48,261  SH           Sole               48,261
Del Monte Foods Co                Common  24522P 10 3       226    20,097  SH           Sole               20,097
Dow Chemical Company              Common  260543 10 3     2,417    60,000  SH           Sole               60,000
Duke Energy Corporation           Common  264399 10 6     1,808    80,000  SH           Sole               80,000
Duquesne Light Holdings Inc       Common  266233 10 5       975    50,000  SH           Sole               50,000
Emerson Electric Co               Common  291011 10 4       377     6,300  SH           Sole                6,300
Exxon Mobil Corporation           Common  30231G 10 2     1,664    40,000  SH           Sole               40,000
Federal Signal Corporation        Common  313855 10 8     1,486    74,864  SH           Sole               74,864
Fidelity National Financial In    Common  316326 10 7       719    18,158  SH           Sole               18,158
Arthur J Gallagher & Co           Common  363576 10 9       336    10,321  SH           Sole               10,321
General Electric Company          Common  369604 10 3     6,409   210,000  SH           Sole              210,000
Greater Bay Bancorp               Common  391648 10 2       585    20,000  SH           Sole               20,000
H J Heinz Company                 Common  423074 10 3     1,678    45,000  SH           Sole               45,000
Honeywell International Inc       Common  438516 10 6       846    25,000  SH           Sole               25,000
Intel Corporation                 Common  458140 10 0       272    10,000  SH           Sole               10,000
Johnson & Johnson                 Common  478160 10 4     1,522    30,000  SH           Sole               30,000
Newell Rubbermaid Inc             Common  651229 10 6       830    35,766  SH           Sole               35,766
Nicor Inc                         Common  654086 10 7     1,057    30,000  SH           Sole               30,000
Ohio Casualty Corporation         Common  677240 10 3       200    10,000  SH           Sole               10,000
Old Republic International Cor    Common  680223 10 4     4,169   169,752  SH           Sole              169,752
Penford Corporation               Common  707051 10 8       333    20,000  SH           Sole               20,000
Penwest Pharmaceuticals Co.       Common  709754 10 5       438    30,000  SH           Sole               30,000
PepsiCo Inc                       Common  713448 10 8     1,077    20,000  SH           Sole               20,000
Piper Jaffray Cos                 Common  724078 10 0       418     7,722  SH           Sole                7,722
Piper Jaffray Cos                 Common  724078 10 0        33       607  SH           Sole                  607
Procter & Gamble Company          Common  742718 10 9     2,937    28,000  SH           Sole               28,000
Progress Energy Inc               Common  743263 10 5       901    19,131  SH           Sole               19,131
QCR Holdings Inc                  Common  74727A 10 4     1,318    45,454  SH           Sole               45,454
Royal Dutch Petroleum Company     Common  780257 80 4       952    20,000  SH           Sole               20,000
SBC Communications Inc            Common  78387G 10 3     1,938    78,960  SH           Sole               78,960
SAFECO Corporation                Common  786429 10 0     1,725    40,000  SH           Sole               40,000
SAFECO Corporation                Common  786429 10 0       282     6,550  SH           Sole                6,550
Schering-Plough Corporation       Common  806605 10 1       162    10,000  SH           Sole               10,000
Sempra Energy                     Common  816851 20 8       730    25,000  SH           Sole               25,000
Shopko Stores Inc                 Common  824911 10 1       292    20,000  SH           Sole               20,000
TXU Corporation                   Common  873168 10 8       860    30,000  SH           Sole               30,000
TPG NV                            Common  892339 10 2        85     4,034  SH           Sole                4,034
U S Bancorp                       Common  902973 30 4    20,973   758,500  SH           Sole              758,500
U S Bancorp                       Common  902973 30 4     1,681    60,784  SH           Sole               60,784
Vectren Corporation               Common  92240G 10 1       658    26,658  SH           Sole               26,658
Verizon Communications Inc        Common  92343V 10 4       585    16,000  SH           Sole               16,000
Verizon Communications Inc        Common  92343V 10 4       754    20,648  SH           Sole               20,648
Wachovia Corporation              Common  929903 10 2     1,410    30,008  SH           Sole               30,008
Wells Fargo & Company             Common  949746 10 1     6,640   117,176  SH           Sole              117,176
Wintrust Financial Corporation    Common  97650W 10 8    11,210   230,523  SH           Sole              230,523
Xcel Energy, Inc.                 Common  98389B 10 0       891    50,000  SH           Sole               50,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Report Summary                   71 Data Records      $ 130,743                    0 other managers on whose behalf report is filed