Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care [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	$ 163,244	$ 56,687
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(4,421)	(2,286)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	86,491	120,207
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(24,024)	(32,936)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	249,735	176,894
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(28,445)	(35,222)
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	687	1,669
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2)	(31)
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	687	1,669
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(2)	(31)
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	1,384	1,545
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(134)	(82)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	982	1,454
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(544)	(676)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,366	2,999
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(678)	(758)
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	106,301	18,166
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,225)	(134)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	50,963	53,553
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,818)	(2,200)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	157,264	71,719
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(3,043)	(2,334)
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	7,596	3,175
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(690)	(242)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,388	2,383
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(677)	(1,603)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,984	5,558
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,367)	(1,845)
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	7,913	866
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(162)	(10)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,244	29,974
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(287)	(7,229)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	11,157	30,840
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(449)	(7,239)
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	6,938	4,966
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5)	(7)
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	6,938	4,966
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(5)	(7)
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	2,498	9,181
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(32)	(221)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	254	675
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(10)	(28)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,752	9,856
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(42)	(249)
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	28	137
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1)	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	114	92
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(8)	(4)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	142	229
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(9)	(6)
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	301	1
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(389)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	12,067	10,060
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(14,921)	(13,343)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,368	10,061
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(15,310)	(13,344)
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	2,618	1,561
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(214)	(90)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	34	29
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(16)	(22)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,652	1,590
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(230)	(112)
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	26,854	15,419
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,402)	(1,464)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	12,344	16,419
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(4,595)	(5,176)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	39,198	31,838
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(5,997)	(6,640)
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	126	1
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(165)	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	5,101	5,568
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,148)	(2,655)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	5,227	5,569
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ (1,313)	$ (2,657)