Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Funeral [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 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	$ 310,024	$ 282,821
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(25,850)	(39,446)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	73,788	76,375
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(41,961)	(39,120)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	383,812	359,196
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(67,811)	(78,566)
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	30,024	6,977
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,338)	(90)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	7,699	8,709
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(255)	(283)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	37,723	15,686
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,593)	(373)
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	6,136	9,597
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(24)	(109)
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	6,136	9,597
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(24)	(109)
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	13,763	17,328
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(633)	(692)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,847	662
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(198)	(78)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	16,610	17,990
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(831)	(770)
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	975	600
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(4)	(4)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	295
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(30)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	975	895
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(4)	(34)
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	1,244	1,244
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(110)	(153)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	173	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(56)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,417	1,244
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(166)	(153)
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	67,570	84,450
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(8,532)	(18,120)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	11,478	14,924
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(4,425)	(4,595)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	79,048	99,374
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(12,957)	(22,715)
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	11,400	8,448
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,855)	(1,491)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	729	513
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(382)	(280)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,129	8,961
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(2,237)	(1,771)
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	5,817	7,263
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(510)	(615)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,926	2,403
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(445)	(681)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,743	9,666
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(955)	(1,296)
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	87,835	76,559
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,810)	(9,173)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	22,221	26,053
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(9,083)	(9,809)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	110,056	102,612
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(14,893)	(18,982)
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	84,624	68,378
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(4,955)	(5,500)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	11,372	9,314
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(7,701)	(7,614)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	95,996	77,692
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(12,656)	(13,114)
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	636	1,977
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2,079)	(3,499)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	15,343	13,502
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(19,416)	(15,750)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	15,979	15,479
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ (21,495)	$ (19,249)