Income Taxes Level 4 (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Sep. 30, 2010		Jun. 30, 2010		Mar. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
United States																	$ 196,788,000		$ 169,544,000	$ 175,212,000
Foreign																	28,848,000		49,915,000	24,156,000
Income from continuing operations before income taxes (1)	72,773,000	[1]	44,042,000	[1]	44,827,000	[1]	63,994,000	[1]	71,972,000	[1]	28,621,000	[1]	67,425,000	[1]	51,441,000	[1]	225,636,000		219,459,000	199,368,000
United States																	1,267,000		1,752,000	13,000
Foreign																	5,844,000		12,326,000	9,200,000
State																	5,781,000		1,446,000	9,196,000
Total current income taxes																	12,892,000		15,524,000	18,409,000
United States																	57,845,000		64,814,000	57,767,000
Foreign																	279,000		185,000	(806,000)
State																	8,388,000		11,935,000	905,000
Total deferred income taxes																	66,512,000		76,934,000	57,866,000
Total income taxes	(28,223,000)		(9,027,000)		(18,089,000)		(24,065,000)		(35,203,000)		(9,941,000)		(27,198,000)		(20,116,000)		79,404,000		92,458,000	76,275,000
Income Taxes Paid																	13,100,000		29,300,000	27,200,000
Proceeds from Income Tax Refunds																	8,500,000		8,300,000	5,600,000
Computed tax provision at the applicable federal statutory income tax rate																	78,973,000		76,811,000	69,779,000
State and local taxes, net of federal income tax benefits																	9,895,000		8,775,000	6,565,000
Dividends received deduction and tax exempt interest																	(644,000)		(1,168,000)	(947,000)
Foreign jurisdiction differences																	(4,789,000)		(3,101,000)	(3,707,000)
Permanent differences associated with dispositions																	(6,329,000)		7,192,000	2,950,000
Changes in uncertain tax positions																	1,584,000		1,138,000	(134,000)
Other																	714,000		2,811,000	1,769,000
Effective Income Tax Rate, Continuing Operations																	35.20%		42.10%	38.30%
Cumulative Impact of Tax Accounting Method Change																			190,300,000
Inventories and cemetery property, principally due to purchase accounting adjustments	(352,323,000)								(344,160,000)								(352,323,000)		(344,160,000)
Property and equipment, principally due to differences in depreciation methods and purchase accounting adjustments	(194,875,000)								(170,305,000)								(194,875,000)		(170,305,000)
Intangibles	(74,278,000)								(82,587,000)								(74,278,000)		(82,587,000)
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Payables	(32,949,000)								(28,779,000)								(32,949,000)		(28,779,000)
Deferred tax liabilities	(654,425,000)								(625,831,000)								(654,425,000)		(625,831,000)
Deferred Tax Assets, Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards	215,285,000								235,393,000								215,285,000		235,393,000
Deferred revenue on preneed funeral and cemetery contracts, principally due to earnings from trust funds	92,640,000								98,335,000								92,640,000		98,335,000
Accrued liabilities	11,308,000								24,469,000								11,308,000		24,469,000
Other	44,506,000								49,316,000								44,506,000		49,316,000
Deferred tax assets	363,739,000								407,513,000								363,739,000		407,513,000
Less: Valuation allowance	63,681,000								63,614,000								63,681,000		63,614,000
Net deferred income tax liability	(354,367,000)								(281,932,000)								(354,367,000)		(281,932,000)
Current deferred tax assets	44,316,000								40,740,000								44,316,000		40,740,000
Non-current deferred tax assets	6,932,000								631,000								6,932,000		631,000
Non-current deferred tax liabilities	(405,615,000)								(323,303,000)								(405,615,000)		(323,303,000)
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities																	13,000,000		9,500,000
Share Distribution from Foreign Subsidiary																			6,900,000
Undistributed Earnings from Foreign Subsidiaries																	93,000,000		256,000,000
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance							152,765,000								144,444,000		152,765,000		144,444,000	142,457,000
Additions to tax positions related to the current year																	4,971,000		10,215,000	5,154,000
Additions to tax positions related to prior years																	60,000		110,000	1,076,000
Statute expirations																	(1,484,000)		2,004,000	4,243,000
Ending Balance	156,312,000								152,765,000								156,312,000		152,765,000	144,444,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits that Would Impact Effective Tax Rate	37,800,000								39,300,000								37,800,000		39,300,000	41,200,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Increases, Net																	3,500,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued	41,800,000								38,800,000								41,800,000		38,800,000	36,000,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Expense																	3,000,000		3,600,000	3,800,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards	2,923,676,000																2,923,676,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year One																	57,681,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Two																	12,373,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Three																	42,503,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Four																	43,097,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Five Years and Thereafter																	2,768,022,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Unexpiring																	64,100,000
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member]
Proceeds from Income Tax Refunds																	7,100,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards	99,457,000																99,457,000
Less: Valuation allowance	(4,107,000)																(4,107,000)
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	225,289,000																225,289,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year One																	691,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Two																	1,733,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Three																	115,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Four																	3,667,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Five Years and Thereafter																	219,083,000
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount																	5,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards	93,393,000	[2]															93,393,000	[2]
Less: Valuation allowance	(41,330,000)	[2]															(41,330,000)	[2]
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	2,698,011,000																2,698,011,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year One																	56,990,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Two																	10,640,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Three																	42,324,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Four																	39,430,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Five Years and Thereafter																	2,548,627,000
Foreign Country [Member]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount																	4,800,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards	22,435,000																22,435,000
Less: Valuation allowance	(18,244,000)																(18,244,000)
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	376,000																376,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year One																	0
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Two																	0
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Three																	64,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Four																	0
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Five Years and Thereafter																	$ 312,000

[1] Includes (losses) gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net, as described in Note 20.

[2] Presented net of Federal benefit