Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care [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	$ 75,742	$ 219,865
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(4,052)	(15,258)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	61,406	81,195
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(19,346)	(22,732)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		301,060
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(23,398)	(37,990)
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	373
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	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	373
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1)
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	9,145	7,057
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(140)	(43)
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	9,145	7,057
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(140)	(43)
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	5,439	3,854
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(33)	(73)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,886	1,456
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(18)	(61)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,325	5,310
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(51)	(134)
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	183	58
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	127
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(12)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	183	185
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(2)	(13)
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	3,115	4,393
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(639)	(1,116)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	973	21
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(299)	(30)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,088	4,414
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(938)	(1,146)
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	38,323	39,716
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2,403)	(5,459)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	7,495	9,055
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(986)	(3,654)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	45,818	48,771
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(3,389)	(9,113)
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	1,246	4,402
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(281)	(772)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,055	565
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(450)	(651)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,301	4,967
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(731)	(1,423)
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	4,712	5,738
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(389)	(1,226)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	696	104
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(58)	(195)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	5,408	5,842
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(447)	(1,421)
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	2,654	9,852
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(127)	(564)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	404	2,717
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(84)	(15)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,058	12,569
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(211)	(579)
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	10,552	144,350
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(37)	(5,498)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	31,837	51,301
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(404)	(3,904)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	42,389	195,651
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(441)	(9,402)
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	0	254
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(324)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	10,752	10,189
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(13,943)	(12,413)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	10,752	10,443
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(13,943)	(12,737)
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	0	140
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(181)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	6,308	5,660
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(3,104)	(1,797)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,308	5,800
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ (3,104)	$ (1,978)