Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Invstments (Details) (Cemetery [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 239,175	$ 327,727
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(20,358)	(48,648)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	76,673	86,001
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(44,406)	(47,458)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	315,848	413,728
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(64,764)	(96,106)
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	43,178	1,736
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,932)	(51)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,287	3,038
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(198)	(262)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	45,465	4,774
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(2,130)	(313)
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	2,489	4,024
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(8)	(24)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,489	4,024
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(8)	(24)
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	13,559	15,044
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(483)	(850)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	538	1,747
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(89)	(111)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,097	16,791
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(572)	(961)
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	29	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	15
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	29	17
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	0	(2)
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,382	1,583
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(198)	(270)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	66	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(6)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,448	1,583
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(204)	(270)
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	59,820	123,849
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(7,023)	(26,401)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	11,828	17,085
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(3,919)	(4,053)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	71,648	140,934
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(10,942)	(30,454)
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	4,255	7,694
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(987)	(1,260)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	420	366
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(589)	(520)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,675	8,060
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,576)	(1,780)
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	5,230	8,654
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(223)	(629)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,620	3,772
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(446)	(907)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,850	12,426
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(669)	(1,536)
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	25,667	115,725
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,593)	(11,222)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	35,401	36,398
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(9,417)	(13,689)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	61,068	152,123
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(11,010)	(24,911)
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	83,092	48,950
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(7,603)	(7,686)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	9,567	9,367
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(12,451)	(12,552)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	92,659	58,317
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(20,054)	(20,238)
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	474	466
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(308)	(254)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	13,946	14,213
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(17,291)	(15,363)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,420	14,679
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ (17,599)	$ (15,617)