Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Goodwill [Table Text Block]

The changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill for our funeral and cemetery reporting units are as follows (in thousands):

	2012									2011
	Funeral			Cemetery			Total			Funeral			Cemetery			Total
Balance as of January 1:
Goodwill	$	1,298,350		$	209,937		$	1,508,287		$	1,244,206		$	210,072		$	1,454,278
Accumulated impairment losses	—			(146,794		)	(146,794		)	—			(146,794		)	(146,794		)
Goodwill, net	1,298,350			63,143			1,361,493			1,244,206			63,278			1,307,484
Increase in goodwill related to acquisitions	20,289			—			20,289			60,933			463			61,396
Reduction of goodwill related to divestitures	(2,210		)	(41		)	(2,251		)	(4,332		)	(598		)	(4,930		)
Effect of foreign currency and other	2,879			—			2,879			(2,457		)	—			(2,457		)
	20,958			(41		)	20,917			54,144			(135		)	54,009
Balance as of December 31:
Goodwill	1,319,308			209,896			1,529,204			1,298,350			209,937			1,508,287
Accumulated impairment losses	—			(146,794		)	(146,794		)	—			(146,794		)	(146,794		)
Goodwill, net	$	1,319,308		$	63,102		$	1,382,410		$	1,298,350		$	63,143		$	1,361,493

Schedule of Expected Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]

The following is estimated amortization expense, excluding certain intangibles for which we are unable to provide an estimate because they are amortized based on specific identification in the performance of a preneed contract, for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2012 (in thousands):

2013	$	13,759
2014	12,194
2015	9,527
2016	8,708
2017	6,157

Schedule of Intangible Assets [Table Text Block]

The components of intangible assets at December 31 were as follows:

	Useful life
	Minimum		Maximum	2012		2011
	(Years)			(In thousands)
Amortizing intangibles:
Covenants-not-to-compete	2	-	40	$	208,594	$	200,973
Customer relationships	10	-	20	102,481		100,423
Tradenames	5	-	5	3,600		3,600
Other	5	-	40	6,050		6,050
				320,725		311,046
Less: Accumulated amortization				207,985		189,773
Amortizing intangibles, net				112,740		121,273
Non-amortizing intangibles:
Tradenames			Indefinite	134,823		121,838
Other			Indefinite	10,140		10,140
Non-amortizing intangibles				144,963		131,978
Intangible assets, net				$	257,703	$	253,251