Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) (Funeral [Member], USD $) In Thousands	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 924,266	$ 837,692
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	81,008	90,876
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(55,232)	(53,525)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	950,042	875,043
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	77,820	71,948
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,752	2,061
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(356)	(334)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	80,216	73,675
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	120,419	121,137
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	253	1,004
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(9)	(20)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	120,663	122,121
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	44,858	33,627
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,346	2,751
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(530)	(285)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	46,674	36,093
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	3,439	5,310
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	82	135
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(25)	(22)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,496	5,423
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	126	2,984
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	6	97
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	132	3,079
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	2,093	2,835
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	178	296
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(56)	(78)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	2,215	3,053
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	267,423	268,650
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	55,561	63,301
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(11,373)	(8,391)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	311,611	323,560
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	21,528	22,452
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	4,457	4,542
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(637)	(798)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	25,348	26,196
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	17,039	21,611
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,500	2,240
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,164)	(2,330)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	17,375	21,521
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	138,898	116,260
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	6,605	6,123
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(16,271)	(18,289)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	129,232	104,094
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	185,728	134,181
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	5,006	6,316
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(6,685)	(5,628)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	184,049	134,869
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	36,743	27,864
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,408	1,395
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(18,126)	(16,890)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	20,025	12,369
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	8,152	8,833
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	854	615
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	(458)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 9,006	$ 8,990