Deferred Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trusts' Corpus Level 4 (Details) (USD $) In Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	$ 25,588	$ 17,045	$ 132,064	$ 67,297
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	(17,108)	(20,256)	(52,715)	(96,634)
Impairment charges	(42,423)	(2,916)	(47,218)	(14,041)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	14,313	17,956	57,405	53,386
Trust expenses and income taxes	(5,882)	(3,993)	(15,120)	(11,835)
Net trust investment income	(25,512)	7,836	74,416	(1,827)
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	25,512	(7,836)	(74,416)	1,827
Other income, net	249	688	969	3,077
Total other income, net	249	688	969	3,077
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust, excluding accrued expenses	2,338,936		2,338,936		2,411,337
Accrued trust operating payables and other	(2,776)		(2,776)		(3,263)
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust	2,336,160		2,336,160		2,408,074
Care trusts’ corpus	971,926		971,926		986,872
Cemetery [Member]
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	10,134	6,838	51,225	31,899
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	(8,758)	(9,828)	(19,994)	(47,093)
Impairment charges	(24,885)	(1,536)	(26,081)	(4,919)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	4,217	5,491	16,545	14,914
Trust expenses and income taxes	(3,119)	(2,555)	(7,385)	(7,024)
Net trust investment income	(22,411)	(1,590)	14,310	(12,223)
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	22,411	1,590	(14,310)	12,223
Other income, net	0	0	0	0
Total other income, net	0	0	0	0
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust, excluding accrued expenses	1,094,652		1,094,652		1,194,795
Accrued trust operating payables and other	(1,630)		(1,630)		(2,288)
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust	1,093,022		1,093,022		1,192,507
Funeral [Member]
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	11,353	5,963	49,618	26,461
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	(6,586)	(8,360)	(18,215)	(42,017)
Impairment charges	(17,533)	(1,129)	(20,821)	(7,298)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	3,911	3,291	15,085	13,223
Trust expenses and income taxes	(2,116)	(1,324)	(4,982)	(3,150)
Net trust investment income	(10,971)	(1,559)	20,685	(12,781)
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	10,971	1,559	(20,685)	12,781
Other income, net	0	0	0	0
Total other income, net	0	0	0	0
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust, excluding accrued expenses	1,244,284		1,244,284		1,216,542
Accrued trust operating payables and other	(1,146)		(1,146)		(975)
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust	1,243,138		1,243,138		1,215,567
Cemetery Perpetual Care [Member]
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	4,101	4,244	31,221	8,937
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	(1,764)	(2,068)	(14,506)	(7,524)
Impairment charges	(5)	(251)	(316)	(1,824)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	6,185	9,174	25,775	25,249
Trust expenses and income taxes	(647)	(114)	(2,753)	(1,661)
Net trust investment income	7,870	10,985	39,421	23,177
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	(7,870)	(10,985)	(39,421)	(23,177)
Other income, net	0	0	0	0
Total other income, net	0	0	0	0
Care trusts' corpus, excluding accrued expenses	974,266		974,266		987,019
Accrued trust operating payables and other	(2,340)		(2,340)		(147)
Care trusts’ corpus	971,926		971,926		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	249	688	969	3,077
Total other income, net	$ 249	$ 688	$ 969	$ 3,077