Deferred Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trusts' Corpus Level 4 (Details) (USD $) In Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	$ 55,511	$ 25,447	$ 106,476	$ 50,252
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	(15,291)	(38,739)	(35,607)	(76,378)
Impairment charges	(374)	(2,291)	(4,795)	(11,125)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	26,581	19,986	43,092	35,430
Trust expenses and income taxes	(4,504)	(4,644)	(9,238)	(7,842)
Net trust investment income	61,923	(241)	99,928	(9,663)
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	(61,923)	241	(99,928)	9,663
Other income, net	46	4,273	720	2,389
Other income (expense), net	46	4,273	720	2,389
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust, excluding accrued expenses	2,572,427		2,572,427		2,411,337
Accrued trust operating payables and other	(2,867)		(2,867)		(3,263)
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust	2,569,560		2,569,560		2,408,074
Care trusts’ corpus	1,016,296		1,016,296		986,872
Cemetery [Member]
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	24,244	13,808	41,091	25,061
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	(5,615)	(19,744)	(11,236)	(37,265)
Impairment charges	(218)	(1,152)	(1,196)	(3,383)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	7,419	4,753	12,328	9,423
Trust expenses and income taxes	(2,511)	(2,079)	(4,266)	(4,469)
Net trust investment income	23,319	(4,414)	36,721	(10,633)
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	(23,319)	4,414	(36,721)	10,633
Other income, net	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Trust investments	1,228,649		1,228,649		1,194,795
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust, excluding accrued expenses	1,228,649		1,228,649		1,194,795
Accrued trust operating payables and other	(1,730)		(1,730)		(2,288)
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust	1,226,919		1,226,919		1,192,507
Funeral [Member]
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	25,388	9,005	38,265	20,498
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	(7,595)	(15,212)	(11,629)	(33,657)
Impairment charges	(142)	(1,044)	(3,288)	(6,169)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	7,752	6,805	11,174	9,932
Trust expenses and income taxes	(1,483)	(777)	(2,866)	(1,826)
Net trust investment income	23,920	(1,223)	31,656	(11,222)
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	(23,920)	1,223	(31,656)	11,222
Other income, net	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Trust investments	1,343,778		1,343,778		1,216,542
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust, excluding accrued expenses	1,343,778		1,343,778		1,216,542
Accrued trust operating payables and other	(1,137)		(1,137)		(975)
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust	1,342,641		1,342,641		1,215,567
Cemetery Perpetual Care [Member]
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	5,879	2,634	27,120	4,693
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	(2,081)	(3,783)	(12,742)	(5,456)
Impairment charges	(14)	(95)	(311)	(1,573)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	11,410	8,428	19,590	16,075
Trust expenses and income taxes	(510)	(1,788)	(2,106)	(1,547)
Net trust investment income	14,684	5,396	31,551	12,192
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	(14,684)	(5,396)	(31,551)	(12,192)
Other income, net	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Care trusts' corpus, excluding accrued expenses	1,018,188		1,018,188		987,019
Accrued trust operating payables and other	(1,892)		(1,892)		(147)
Care trusts’ corpus	1,016,296		1,016,296		986,872
Corporate Elimination [Member]
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	0	0	0	0
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	0	0	0	0
Impairment charges	0	0	0	0
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	0	0	0	0
Trust expenses and income taxes	0	0	0	0
Net trust investment income	0	0	0	0
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	0	0	0	0
Other income, net	46	4,273	720	2,389
Other income (expense), net	$ 46	$ 4,273	$ 720	$ 2,389