Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 939,417	$ 894,756
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	51,146	62,694
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(37,990)	(35,222)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	952,573	922,228
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	981	5,651
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	39	863
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	(31)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,020	6,483
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	29,015	26,702
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	686	642
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(43)	(7)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	29,658	27,337
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	21,197	48,278
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	528	5,219
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(134)	(249)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	21,591	53,248
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,662	1,764
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	53	55
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(13)	(6)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,702	1,813
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	83	363
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2	5
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	1	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	84	368
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	6,475	7,789
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	18	1,385
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,146)	(112)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	5,347	9,062
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	141,880	116,799
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	14,443	16,916
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(9,113)	(6,640)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	147,210	127,075
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	13,374	11,510
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,483	2,510
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,423)	(758)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	13,434	13,262
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	16,836	16,004
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,314	2,175
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,421)	(1,845)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	16,729	16,334
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	21,801	65,114
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,598	6,964
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(579)	(7,239)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	22,820	64,839
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	654,883	562,879
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	29,758	24,773
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(9,402)	(2,334)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	675,239	585,318
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	23,212	23,428
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	374	351
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(12,737)	(13,344)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	10,849	10,435
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	8,018	8,475
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	850	836
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,978)	(2,657)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 6,890	$ 6,654