Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Cemetery [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 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	$ 227,380	$ 327,727
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(12,027)	(48,648)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	105,040	86,001
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(43,734)	(47,458)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	332,420	413,728
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(55,761)	(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	28,626	1,736
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(841)	(51)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	3,038
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(262)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	28,626	4,774
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(841)	(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	5,319	4,024
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(83)	(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	5,319	4,024
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(83)	(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	14,060	15,044
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(571)	(850)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,137	1,747
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(204)	(111)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	16,197	16,791
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(775)	(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	1,497	1,583
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(143)	(270)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	126	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(53)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,623	1,583
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(196)	(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	82,989	123,849
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,624)	(26,401)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	11,131	17,085
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(2,092)	(4,053)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	94,120	140,934
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(7,716)	(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	3,114	7,694
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(461)	(1,260)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,115	366
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(385)	(520)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,229	8,060
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(846)	(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	9,056	8,654
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(655)	(629)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	741	3,772
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(202)	(907)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	9,797	12,426
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(857)	(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	28,132	115,725
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,427)	(11,222)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	43,172	36,398
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(8,494)	(13,689)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	71,304	152,123
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(9,921)	(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	54,533	48,950
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2,205)	(7,686)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	29,104	9,367
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(17,145)	(12,552)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	83,637	58,317
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(19,350)	(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	46	466
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(17)	(254)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	17,136	14,213
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(15,158)	(15,363)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	17,182	14,679
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(15,175)	(15,617)
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	8
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	378
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	386
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ (1)