Deferred Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trusts' Corpus Level 4 (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	$ 20,396	$ 55,511	$ 87,841	$ 106,476
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	(10,410)	(15,291)	(36,143)	(35,607)
Impairment charges	(770)	(374)	(1,420)	(4,795)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	18,670	26,581	28,869	43,092
Trust expenses and income taxes	(4,968)	(4,504)	(11,107)	(9,238)
Net trust investment income	22,918	61,923	68,040	99,928
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	(22,918)	(61,923)	(68,040)	(99,928)
Other income, net	(2,221)	46	1,684	720
Total other income, net	(2,221)	46	1,684	720
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust, excluding accrued expenses	2,500,187		2,500,187		2,427,469
Accrued trust operating payables and other	(3,291)		(3,291)		(3,113)
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust	2,496,896		2,496,896		2,424,356
Care trusts’ corpus	1,057,423		1,057,423		1,015,300
Funeral [Member]
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	9,754	25,388	35,765	38,265
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	(4,412)	(7,595)	(14,160)	(11,629)
Impairment charges	(230)	(142)	(574)	(3,288)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	6,551	7,752	8,751	11,174
Trust expenses and income taxes	(2,379)	(1,483)	(4,948)	(2,866)
Net trust investment income	9,284	23,920	24,834	31,656
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	(9,284)	(23,920)	(24,834)	(31,656)
Other income, net	0	0	0	0
Total other income, net	0	0	0	0
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust, excluding accrued expenses	1,289,345		1,289,345		1,271,446
Accrued trust operating payables and other	(1,461)		(1,461)		(1,261)
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust	1,287,884		1,287,884		1,270,185
Cemetery [Member]
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	8,610	24,244	47,882	41,091
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	(4,296)	(5,615)	(18,066)	(11,236)
Impairment charges	(287)	(218)	(592)	(1,196)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	3,785	7,419	6,061	12,328
Trust expenses and income taxes	(3,066)	(2,511)	(6,251)	(4,266)
Net trust investment income	4,746	23,319	29,034	36,721
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	(4,746)	(23,319)	(29,034)	(36,721)
Other income, net	0	0	0	0
Total other income, net	0	0	0	0
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust, excluding accrued expenses	1,210,842		1,210,842		1,156,023
Accrued trust operating payables and other	(1,830)		(1,830)		(1,852)
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust	1,209,012		1,209,012		1,154,171
Cemetery Perpetual Care [Member]
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	2,032	5,879	4,194	27,120
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	(1,702)	(2,081)	(3,917)	(12,742)
Impairment charges	(253)	(14)	(254)	(311)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	8,334	11,410	14,057	19,590
Trust expenses and income taxes	477	(510)	92	(2,106)
Net trust investment income	8,888	14,684	14,172	31,551
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	(8,888)	(14,684)	(14,172)	(31,551)
Other income, net	0	0	0	0
Total other income, net	0	0	0	0
Care trusts' corpus, excluding accrued expenses	1,057,261		1,057,261		1,016,506
Accrued trust operating payables and other	162		162		(1,206)
Care trusts’ corpus	1,057,423		1,057,423		1,015,300
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Component of Other Income, Nonoperating [Line Items]
Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities	0	0	0	0
Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities	0	0	0	0
Impairment charges	0	0	0	0
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	0	0	0	0
Trust expenses and income taxes	0	0	0	0
Net trust investment income	0	0	0	0
Investment Income, Nonoperating, Effect on Deferred Preneed Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trust Corpus'	0	0	0	0
Other income, net	(2,221)	46	1,684	720
Total other income, net	$ (2,221)	$ 46	$ 1,684	$ 720