Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Cemetery [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	$ 327,727	$ 125,758
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(48,648)	(7,330)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	86,001	151,323
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(47,458)	(51,632)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	413,728	277,081
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(96,106)	(58,962)
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	1,736	6,057
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(51)	(295)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,038	315
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(262)	(12)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,774	6,372
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(313)	(307)
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	4,024	2,908
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(24)	(4)
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	4,024	2,908
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(24)	(4)
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	15,044	8,577
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(850)	(402)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,747	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(111)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	16,791	8,577
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(961)	(402)
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	2	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	15	20
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	17	20
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(2)	(1)
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		766
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses		(4)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		56
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		822
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		(5)
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	1,583	1,749
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(270)	(124)
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	1,583	1,749
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(270)	(124)
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	123,849	63,027
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(26,401)	(4,450)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	17,085	31,108
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(4,053)	(6,371)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	140,934	94,135
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(30,454)	(10,821)
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	7,694	3,131
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,260)	(181)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	366	1,475
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(520)	(669)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,060	4,606
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,780)	(850)
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	8,654	8,542
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(629)	(1,403)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,772	5,259
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(907)	(2,242)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,426	13,801
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,536)	(3,645)
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	115,725	5,107
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(11,222)	(112)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	36,398	92,630
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(13,689)	(18,457)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	152,123	97,737
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(24,911)	(18,569)
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	48,950	25,887
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(7,686)	(354)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	9,367	14,600
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(12,552)	(9,605)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	58,317	40,487
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(20,238)	(9,959)
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	466	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(254)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	14,213	5,557
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(15,363)	(13,890)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,679	5,557
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(15,617)	(13,890)
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		7
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		303
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses		(384)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		310
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		$ (385)