Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care [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	$ 931,418	$ 894,756
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	38,501	62,694
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(56,905)	(35,222)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	913,014	922,228
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,637	5,651
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	815	863
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(2)	(31)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	2,450	6,483
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	28,751	26,702
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	862	642
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(18)	(7)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	29,595	27,337
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	20,677	48,278
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	609	5,219
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(92)	(249)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	21,194	53,248
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,702	1,764
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	59	55
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(11)	(6)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,750	1,813
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	52	363
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains		5
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	52	368
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	5,961	7,789
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	0	1,385
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,216)	(112)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	4,745	9,062
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	138,464	116,799
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	6,903	16,916
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(16,980)	(6,640)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	128,387	127,075
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	12,581	11,510
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,457	2,510
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,237)	(758)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	12,801	13,262
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	18,788	16,004
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	843	2,175
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(2,259)	(1,845)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	17,372	16,334
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	21,474	65,114
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	736	6,964
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(2,336)	(7,239)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	19,874	64,839
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	648,407	562,879
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	25,030	24,773
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(16,199)	(2,334)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	657,238	585,318
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	24,835	23,428
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	358	351
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(14,231)	(13,344)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	10,962	10,435
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	8,089	8,475
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	829	836
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(2,324)	(2,657)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 6,594	$ 6,654