Income Taxes Level 4 (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
United States																	$ 210,830,000		$ 196,788,000	$ 169,544,000
Foreign																	34,853,000		28,848,000	49,915,000
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	46,749,000	[1]	63,925,000	[1]	63,574,000	[1]	71,435,000	[1]	72,773,000	[1]	44,042,000	[1]	44,827,000	[1]	63,994,000	[1]	245,683,000		225,636,000	219,459,000
United States																	3,752,000		1,267,000	1,752,000
Foreign																	8,776,000		5,844,000	12,326,000
State																	6,036,000		5,781,000	1,446,000
Total current income taxes																	18,564,000		12,892,000	15,524,000
United States																	62,227,000		57,845,000	64,814,000
Foreign																	(102,000)		279,000	185,000
State																	10,859,000		8,388,000	11,935,000
Total deferred income taxes																	72,984,000		66,512,000	76,934,000
Total income taxes	(20,365,000)		(22,128,000)		(25,935,000)		(23,120,000)		(28,223,000)		(9,027,000)		(18,089,000)		(24,065,000)		91,548,000		79,404,000	92,458,000
Income Taxes Paid																	23,100,000		13,100,000	29,300,000
Proceeds from Income Tax Refunds																	1,500,000		8,500,000	8,300,000
Computed tax provision at the applicable federal statutory income tax rate																	85,988,000		78,973,000	76,811,000
State and local taxes, net of federal income tax benefits																	10,998,000		9,895,000	8,775,000
Dividends received deduction and tax exempt interest																	(525,000)		(644,000)	(1,168,000)
Foreign jurisdiction differences																	(3,491,000)		(4,789,000)	(3,101,000)
Permanent differences associated with dispositions																	602,000		(6,329,000)	7,192,000
Changes in uncertain tax positions																	(479,000)		1,584,000	1,138,000
Other																	(1,545,000)		714,000	2,811,000
Effective Income Tax Rate, Continuing Operations																	37.30%		35.20%	42.10%
Cumulative Impact of Tax Accounting Method Change																				190,300,000
Inventories and cemetery property, principally due to purchase accounting adjustments	(354,162,000)								(352,323,000)								(354,162,000)		(352,323,000)
Property and equipment, principally due to differences in depreciation methods and purchase accounting adjustments	(195,066,000)								(194,875,000)								(195,066,000)		(194,875,000)
Intangibles	(77,092,000)								(74,278,000)								(77,092,000)		(74,278,000)
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Payables	(40,374,000)								(32,949,000)								(40,374,000)		(32,949,000)
Deferred tax liabilities	(666,694,000)								(654,425,000)								(666,694,000)		(654,425,000)
Deferred Tax Assets, Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards	141,739,000								215,285,000								141,739,000		215,285,000
Deferred revenue on preneed funeral and cemetery contracts, principally due to earnings from trust funds	94,731,000								92,640,000								94,731,000		92,640,000
Accrued liabilities	6,267,000								11,308,000								6,267,000		11,308,000
Other	63,845,000								44,506,000								63,845,000		44,506,000
Deferred tax assets	306,582,000								363,739,000								306,582,000		363,739,000
Less: Valuation allowance	67,732,000								63,681,000								67,732,000		63,681,000
Net deferred income tax liability	(427,844,000)								(354,367,000)								(427,844,000)		(354,367,000)
Current deferred tax assets	42,864,000								44,316,000								42,864,000		44,316,000
Non-current deferred tax assets	490,000								6,932,000								490,000		6,932,000
Non-current deferred tax liabilities	(471,198,000)								(405,615,000)								(471,198,000)		(405,615,000)
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities																	29,100,000		13,000,000
Share Distribution from Foreign Subsidiary																				6,900,000
Undistributed Earnings from Foreign Subsidiaries																	263,100,000		93,000,000
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance							156,312,000								152,765,000		156,312,000		152,765,000	144,444,000
Additions to tax positions related to the current year																	2,100,000		(4,971,000)	(10,215,000)
Additions to tax positions related to prior years																	10,224,000		(60,000)	(110,000)
Statute expirations																	(25,300,000)		1,484,000	2,004,000
Ending Balance	143,988,000								156,312,000								143,988,000		156,312,000	152,765,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits that Would Impact Effective Tax Rate	34,900,000								37,800,000								34,900,000		37,800,000	39,300,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Increases, Net																	12,300,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued	41,600,000								41,800,000								41,600,000		41,800,000	38,800,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Expense																	200,000		3,000,000	3,600,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards	2,715,537,000																2,715,537,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year One																	13,786,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Two																	45,287,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Three																	305,627,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Four																	68,314,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Five Years and Thereafter																	2,282,523,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Unexpiring																	65,200,000
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority	6,600,000																6,600,000
Increase (Decrease) in Income Taxes																	3,100,000
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member]
Proceeds from Income Tax Refunds																	7,100,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards	27,316,000																27,316,000
Less: Valuation allowance	(3,707,000)																(3,707,000)
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	61,200,000																61,200,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year One																	8,363,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Two																	13,318,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Three																	3,388,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Four																	9,593,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Five Years and Thereafter																	26,538,000
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount																	4,300,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards	91,775,000	[2]															91,775,000	[2]
Less: Valuation allowance	(45,654,000)	[2]															(45,654,000)	[2]
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	2,654,335,000																2,654,335,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year One																	5,423,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Two																	31,969,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Three																	302,239,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Four																	58,721,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Five Years and Thereafter																	2,255,983,000
Foreign Tax Authority [Member]
Deferred Tax Assets, Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards	22,648,000																22,648,000
Less: Valuation allowance	(18,371,000)																(18,371,000)
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	2,000																2,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year One																	0
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Two																	0
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Three																	0
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Four																	0
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Five Years and Thereafter																	$ 2,000

[1] Includes (Losses) gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net, as described in Note 20.

[2] Presented net of Federal benefit