Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Invstments (Details) (Cemetery [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	$ 381,095	$ 327,727
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(31,232)	48,648
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	86,453	86,001
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(53,354)	47,458
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	467,548	413,728
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(84,586)	(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	42,821	1,736
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,554)	(51)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,261	3,038
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(247)	(262)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	45,082	4,774
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	1,801	(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	3,525	4,024
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(23)	(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	3,525	4,024
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	23	(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	20,662	15,044
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(868)	(850)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,738	1,747
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(265)	(111)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	22,400	16,791
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	1,133	(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		2
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		15
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses		(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		17
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		(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	1,941	1,583
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(245)	(270)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	121	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(61)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,062	1,583
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	306	(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	88,067	123,849
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(12,420)	(26,401)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	15,799	17,085
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(6,190)	(4,053)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	103,866	140,934
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	18,610	(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	5,432	7,694
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(888)	(1,260)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,211	366
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,094)	(520)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,643	8,060
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	1,982	(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	8,840	8,654
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(849)	(629)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,509	3,772
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(569)	(907)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	11,349	12,426
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	1,418	(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	133,077	115,725
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(7,032)	(11,222)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	35,735	36,398
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(12,682)	(13,689)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	168,812	152,123
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	19,714	(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	76,727	48,950
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(7,352)	(7,686)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	11,827	9,367
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(14,444)	(12,552)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	88,554	58,317
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	21,796	(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	3	466
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1)	(254)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	15,252	14,213
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(17,802)	(15,363)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	15,255	14,679
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ 17,803	$ (15,617)