Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Level 3 Activities (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Cemetery Perpetual Care [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Fair market value, beginning balance	$ 17,089		$ 14,943		$ 48,276
Net unrealized (losses) gains included in Accumulated other comprehensive income	7,400	[1]	7,018	[1]	(27,920)	[1]
Net realized losses included in Other income, net(2)	(310)	[2]	(2,613)	[2]	(121)	[2]
Sales	(44)		(155)		0
Contributions	118		11,140		4,263
Distributions and other	(6,514)		(13,244)		(2,343)
Transfers out of Level 3	0		0		(7,212)
Fair market value, ending balance	$ 17,739		$ 17,089		$ 14,943

[1] All unrealized gains (losses) recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive income for our cemetery perpetual care trust investments are offset by a corresponding reclassification in Accumulated other comprehensive income to Care trusts’ corpus. See Note 7 for further information related to our Care trusts’ corpus.

[2] All losses recognized in Other (expense) income, net for our cemetery perpetual care trust investments are offset by a corresponding reclassification in Other (expense) income, net to Care trusts’ corpus. See Note 7 for further information related to our Care trusts’ corpus.