Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care [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	$ 137,124	$ 219,865
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,969)	(15,258)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	74,878	81,195
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(20,305)	(22,732)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	212,002	301,060
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(26,274)	(37,990)
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	342	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1)	0
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	342	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1)	0
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	4,758	7,057
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(15)	(43)
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	4,758	7,057
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(15)	(43)
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	5,960	3,854
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(57)	(73)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	68	1,456
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(11)	(61)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,028	5,310
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(68)	(134)
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	222	58
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	127
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(12)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	222	185
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1)	(13)
Asset-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		51
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses		1
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		51
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		1
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	2,937	4,393
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(260)	(1,116)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	434	21
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(144)	(30)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,371	4,414
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(404)	(1,146)
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	22,965	39,716
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,768)	(5,459)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	8,142	9,055
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(2,256)	(3,654)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	31,107	48,771
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(4,024)	(9,113)
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	4,568	4,402
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,001)	(772)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	643	565
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(594)	(651)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	5,211	4,967
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,595)	(1,423)
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	9,843	5,738
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(682)	(1,226)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	262	104
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(17)	(195)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	10,105	5,842
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(699)	(1,421)
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	827	9,852
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(28)	(564)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,267	2,717
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(113)	(15)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,094	12,569
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(141)	(579)
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	84,277	144,350
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,628)	(5,498)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	45,962	51,301
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(2,022)	(3,904)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	130,239	195,651
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(3,650)	(9,402)
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	281	254
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(349)	(324)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	11,293	10,189
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(13,385)	(12,413)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	11,574	10,443
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(13,734)	(12,737)
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	144	140
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(179)	(181)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	5,807	5,660
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,763)	(1,797)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	5,951	5,800
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ (1,942)	$ (1,978)