Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Goodwill [Abstract]

Schedule of Goodwill [Table Text Block]

The changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill for our funeral and cemetery reporting units are as follows (in thousands):

	2011									2010
	Funeral			Cemetery			Total			Funeral			Cemetery			Total
Balance as of January 1:
Goodwill	$	1,244,206		$	210,072		$	1,454,278		$	1,140,742		$	207,384		$	1,348,126
Accumulated impairment losses	—			(146,794		)	(146,794		)	—			(146,794		)	(146,794		)
Goodwill, net	1,244,206			63,278			1,307,484			1,140,742			60,590			1,201,332
Increase in goodwill related to acquisitions	60,933			463			61,396			114,020			6,076			120,096
Reduction of goodwill related to divestitures	(4,332		)	(598		)	(4,930		)	(16,581		)	(3,388		)	(19,969		)
Effect of foreign currency and other	(2,457		)	—			(2,457		)	6,025			—			6,025
	54,144			(135		)	54,009			103,464			2,688			106,152
Balance as of December 31:
Goodwill	1,298,350			209,937			1,508,287			1,244,206			210,072			1,454,278
Accumulated impairment losses	—			(146,794		)	(146,794		)	—			(146,794		)	(146,794		)
Goodwill, net	$	1,298,350		$	63,143		$	1,361,493		$	1,244,206		$	63,278		$	1,307,484

Schedule of Intangible Assets [Table Text Block]

The components of intangible assets at December 31 were as follows:

	Useful life
	Minimum		Maximum	2011		2010
	(Years)			(In thousands)
Amortizing intangibles:
Covenants-not-to-compete	2	-	20	$	200,973	$	195,346
Customer relationships	10	-	20	100,423		93,218
Tradenames	5	-	5	3,600		3,600
Other	5	-	40	6,050		6,050
				311,046		298,214
Less: Accumulated amortization				189,773		171,597
Amortizing intangibles, net				121,273		126,617
Non-amortizing intangibles:
Tradenames			Indefinite	121,838		82,732
Other			Indefinite	10,140		10,140
Non-amortizing intangibles				131,978		92,872
Intangible assets, net				$	253,251	$	219,489

Schedule of Expected Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]

The following is estimated amortization expense, excluding certain customer relationship intangibles for which we are unable to provide an estimate because they are amortized based on specific identification in the performance of a preneed contract, for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2011 (in thousands):

2012	$	14,591
2013	12,589
2014	10,929
2015	8,236
2016	7,745
	$	54,090