Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) (Cemetery [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 1,091,515	$ 1,047,929
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	126,948	99,641
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(64,764)	(96,106)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,153,699	1,051,464
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	95,800	51,022
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	6,829	6,438
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(2,130)	(313)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	100,499	57,147
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	17,029	16,566
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	351	381
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(8)	(24)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	17,372	16,923
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	44,452	42,803
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,785	2,033
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(572)	(961)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	46,665	43,875
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	163	167
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	4	5
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	167	170
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value		0
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	3,059	3,365
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	130	86
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(204)	(270)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	2,985	3,181
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	347,048	408,075
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	88,890	71,138
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(10,942)	(30,454)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	424,996	448,759
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	17,819	18,289
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	3,451	2,547
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,576)	(1,780)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	19,694	19,056
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	28,236	30,501
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	3,165	1,843
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(669)	(1,536)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	30,732	30,808
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	236,441	197,523
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	10,592	3,317
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(11,010)	(24,911)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	236,023	175,929
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	268,654	248,529
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	10,588	11,670
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(20,054)	(20,238)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	259,188	239,961
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	32,483	30,783
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	51	53
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(17,599)	(15,617)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	14,935	15,219
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	331	306
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	112	130
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 443	$ 436