Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care [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	$ 931,184	$ 894,756
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	53,515	62,694
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(28,445)	(35,222)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	956,254	922,228
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	2,034	5,651
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	800	863
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(2)	(31)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	2,832	6,483
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	29,858	26,702
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	453	642
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(5)	(7)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	30,306	27,337
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	21,362	48,278
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	538	5,219
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(42)	(249)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	21,858	53,248
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,633	1,764
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	57	55
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(9)	(6)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,681	1,813
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis		363
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains		5
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value		368
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	5,801	7,789
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	475	1,385
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(230)	(112)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	6,046	9,062
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	132,085	116,799
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	16,215	16,916
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(5,997)	(6,640)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	142,303	127,075
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	11,508	11,510
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,607	2,510
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(678)	(758)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	13,437	13,262
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	20,379	16,004
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,310	2,175
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,367)	(1,845)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	21,322	16,334
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	20,903	65,114
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,866	6,964
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(449)	(7,239)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	22,320	64,839
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	651,130	562,879
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	27,007	24,773
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(3,043)	(2,334)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	675,094	585,318
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	27,709	23,428
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	383	351
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(15,310)	(13,344)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	12,782	10,435
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	6,782	8,475
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	804	836
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,313)	(2,657)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 6,273	$ 6,654