Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 980,272	$ 939,417
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	88,694	51,146
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(23,398)	(37,990)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,045,568	952,573
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	2	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	820	981
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	45	39
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	864	1,020
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	2	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	30,159	29,015
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	709	686
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(140)	(43)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	30,728	29,658
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	2	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	22,877	21,197
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	537	528
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(51)	(134)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	23,363	21,591
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	2	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,498	1,662
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	41	53
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(2)	(13)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,537	1,702
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	2	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	161	83
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	10	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	1
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	171	84
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	2	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	5,637	6,475
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	61	18
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(938)	(1,146)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	4,760	5,347
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	1	1
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	163,173	141,880
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	19,609	14,443
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(3,389)	(9,113)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	179,393	147,210
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	1	1
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	8,954	13,374
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,568	1,483
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(731)	(1,423)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	9,791	13,434
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	1	1
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	14,693	16,836
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,392	1,314
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(447)	(1,421)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	15,638	16,729
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	1	1
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	16,999	21,801
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,102	1,598
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(211)	(579)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	18,890	22,820
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	1	1
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	680,921	654,883
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	61,172	29,758
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(441)	(9,402)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	741,652	675,239
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	3	3
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	24,727	23,212
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	338	374
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(13,943)	(12,737)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	11,122	10,849
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value Hierarchy Level	3	3
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	9,653	8,018
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,110	850
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(3,104)	(1,978)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 7,659	$ 6,890