Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011 Customer Relationships [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Customer Lists [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Noncompete Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Leases, Acquired-in-Place, Market Adjustment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trade Names [Member]
Purchase Price Allocation [Line Items]
Indefinite-Lived Trade Names	$ 121,838	$ 82,732	$ 33,200
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life, Minimum				10	10	5	5	5
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life, Maximum				10	14	15	15	5
Accounts receivable			6,131
Other current assets			20,200
Cemetery property			19,949
Property and equipment, net			105,888
Preneed funeral and cemetery receivables and trust investments			66,395
Finite-lived intangible assets			34,312
Indefinite-lived intangible assets			33,700
Deferred charges and other assets			6,533
Goodwill			108,643
Total assets acquired			401,751
Current liabilities			11,719
Long-term debt			2,548
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery revenues and deferred receipts held in trusts			69,336
Deferred tax liability			20,939
Other liabilities			8,347
Total liabilities assumed			112,889
Net assets acquired			$ 288,862