Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care [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	$ 958,872	$ 939,417
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	66,661	51,146
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(26,274)	(37,990)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	999,259	952,573
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	927	981
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	31	39
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	957	1,020
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	29,612	29,015
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	634	686
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(15)	(43)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	30,231	29,658
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	21,406	21,197
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	544	528
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(68)	(134)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	21,882	21,591
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,654	1,662
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	49	53
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1)	(13)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,702	1,702
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	98	83
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	6	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	104	84
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	5,440	6,475
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	65	18
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(404)	(1,146)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	5,101	5,347
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	151,786	141,880
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	21,538	14,443
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(4,024)	(9,113)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	169,300	147,210
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	13,853	13,374
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,666	1,483
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,595)	(1,423)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	13,924	13,434
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	18,489	16,836
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,099	1,314
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(699)	(1,421)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	18,889	16,729
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	17,795	21,801
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,534	1,598
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(141)	(579)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	20,188	22,820
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	664,339	654,883
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	37,041	29,758
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(3,650)	(9,402)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	697,730	675,239
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	25,340	23,212
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	371	374
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(13,734)	(12,737)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	11,977	10,849
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	8,133	8,018
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,083	850
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,942)	(1,978)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 7,274	$ 6,890