Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) (Cemetery [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	$ 1,029,745	$ 1,002,241
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	129,437	119,492
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(59,242)	(58,962)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,099,940	1,062,771
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	50,754	50,884
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	3,594	2,493
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(251)	(307)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	54,097	53,070
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	18,000	15,669
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	253	362
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(3)	(4)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	18,250	16,027
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	42,905	39,265
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	3,176	3,387
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(603)	(402)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	45,478	42,250
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	175	863
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	5	31
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	179	893
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis		6,336
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains		261
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses		(5)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value		6,592
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	3,394	4,577
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	282	453
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(69)	(124)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,607	4,906
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	394,147	386,537
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	88,547	82,385
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(12,788)	(10,821)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	469,906	458,101
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	16,413	17,279
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	4,373	3,869
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(837)	(850)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	19,949	20,298
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	25,287	31,466
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,457	2,485
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,211)	(3,645)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	26,533	30,306
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	204,824	202,328
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	17,484	15,173
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(16,952)	(18,569)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	205,356	198,932
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	243,643	226,567
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	9,130	8,537
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(10,862)	(9,959)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	241,911	225,145
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	29,916	19,596
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	14	13
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(15,665)	(13,890)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	14,265	5,719
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	287	874
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	122	43
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	(385)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 409	$ 532