Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Invstments (Details) (Cemetery [Member], USD $) In Thousands	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 182,926	$ 125,758
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(14,019)	(7,330)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	132,137	151,323
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(45,223)	(51,632)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	315,063	277,081
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(59,242)	(58,962)
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	535	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(267)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	13,432	5,557
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(15,398)	(13,890)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,967	5,557
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(15,665)	(13,890)
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value		7
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses		(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		303
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses		(384)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		310
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		(385)
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	2,395	6,057
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(31)	(295)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,061	315
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(220)	(12)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	5,456	6,372
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(251)	(307)
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	90,705	63,027
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(10,301)	(4,450)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	21,976	31,108
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(2,487)	(6,371)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	112,681	94,135
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(12,788)	(10,821)
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	15	20
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	15	20
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1)	(1)
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	3,005	3,131
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(376)	(181)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	526	1,475
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(461)	(669)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,531	4,606
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(837)	(850)
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	5,753	8,542
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(284)	(1,403)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,128	5,259
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(927)	(2,242)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	9,881	13,801
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,211)	(3,645)
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	28,900	5,107
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(861)	(112)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	76,063	92,630
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(16,091)	(18,457)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	104,963	97,737
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(16,952)	(18,569)
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	33,971	25,887
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,304)	(354)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	12,349	14,600
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(9,558)	(9,605)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	46,320	40,487
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(10,862)	(9,959)
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	4,172	2,908
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3)	(4)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,172	2,908
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(3)	(4)
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	12,047	8,577
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(523)	(402)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	587	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(80)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,634	8,577
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(603)	(402)
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value		766
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses		(4)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		56
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses		(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		822
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		(5)
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,443	1,749
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(69)	(124)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,443	1,749
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ (69)	$ (124)