Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) (Funeral [Member], USD $) In Thousands	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 923,536	$ 837,692
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	47,243	90,876
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(95,009)	(53,525)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	875,770	875,043
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	76,987	71,948
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	4,032	2,061
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(336)	(334)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	80,683	73,675
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	113,763	121,137
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	628	1,004
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(50)	(20)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	114,341	122,121
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	51,128	33,627
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,353	2,751
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,207)	(285)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	51,274	36,093
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	3,388	5,310
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	77	135
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(32)	(22)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,433	5,423
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	127	2,984
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	6	97
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	133	3,079
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	2,344	2,835
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	19	296
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(292)	(78)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	2,071	3,053
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	267,707	268,650
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	28,059	63,301
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(36,268)	(8,391)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	259,498	323,560
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	23,638	22,452
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,824	4,542
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,354)	(798)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	25,108	26,196
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	19,481	21,611
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	460	2,240
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(3,219)	(2,330)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	16,722	21,521
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	132,562	116,260
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,685	6,123
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(23,543)	(18,289)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	110,704	104,094
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	195,093	134,181
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	6,298	6,316
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(9,995)	(5,628)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	191,396	134,869
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	36,800	27,864
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,408	1,395
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(18,713)	(16,890)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	19,495	12,369
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	518	8,833
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	394	615
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	(458)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 912	$ 8,990