Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Funeral [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 282,821	$ 84,655
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(39,446)	(5,235)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	76,375	108,789
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(39,120)	(48,290)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	359,196	193,444
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(78,566)	(53,525)
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	6,977	10,433
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(90)	(316)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	8,709	393
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(283)	(18)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	15,686	10,826
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(373)	(334)
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	9,597	1,632
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(109)	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	668
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(18)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	9,597	2,300
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(109)	(20)
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	600	836
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(4)	(9)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	295	263
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(30)	(13)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	895	1,099
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(34)	(22)
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	17,328	5,619
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(692)	(285)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	662	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(78)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	17,990	5,619
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(770)	(285)
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value		225
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses		(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		53
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses		(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		278
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		(2)
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,244	1,045
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(153)	(78)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,244	1,045
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(153)	(78)
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	84,450	41,491
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(18,120)	(3,019)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	14,924	24,919
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(4,595)	(5,372)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	99,374	66,410
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(22,715)	(8,391)
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	8,448	4,493
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,491)	(324)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	513	1,361
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(280)	(474)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,961	5,854
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,771)	(798)
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	7,263	5,251
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(615)	(862)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,403	3,446
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(681)	(1,468)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	9,666	8,697
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,296)	(2,330)
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	76,559	3,778
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(9,173)	(110)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	26,053	61,844
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(9,809)	(18,179)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	102,612	65,622
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(18,982)	(18,289)
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	68,378	9,630
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,500)	(156)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	9,314	8,818
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(7,614)	(5,472)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	77,692	18,448
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(13,114)	(5,628)
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,977	214
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3,499)	(71)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	13,502	6,715
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(15,750)	(16,819)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	15,479	6,929
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(19,249)	(16,890)
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value		8
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses		(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		309
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses		(456)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		317
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		$ (458)