Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) (Cemetery [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 1,140,476	$ 1,139,946
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	160,000	119,899
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(41,590)	(55,761)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,258,886	1,204,084
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	101,171	99,630
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	5,384	7,925
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,345)	(841)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	105,210	106,714
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	17,150	17,562
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	361	402
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(116)	(83)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	17,395	17,881
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	42,021	43,515
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	3,343	2,456
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(700)	(775)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	44,664	45,196
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	143	150
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	3	4
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	146	154
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	8,182	5,840
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	702	334
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(137)	(196)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	8,747	5,978
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	359,882	363,190
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	96,774	71,613
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(5,512)	(7,716)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	451,144	427,087
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	15,156	16,026
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	3,692	2,862
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,006)	(846)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	17,842	18,042
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	33,912	29,889
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	5,384	3,687
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(533)	(857)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	38,763	32,719
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	277,324	279,265
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	31,539	19,520
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(6,859)	(9,921)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	302,004	288,864
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	255,802	251,687
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	10,207	10,975
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(20,030)	(19,350)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	245,979	243,312
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	28,863	32,785
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,446	77
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(5,352)	(15,175)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	25,957	17,687
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	870	407
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	165	44
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 1,035	$ 450