Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Invstments (Details) (Cemetery [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 155,727	$ 227,380
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(7,971)	12,027
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	131,043	105,040
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(33,619)	43,734
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	286,770	332,420
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(41,590)	(55,761)
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	18,714	28,626
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(500)	(841)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	19,448	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(845)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	38,162	28,626
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	1,345	(841)
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	5,501	5,319
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(96)	(83)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	987	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(20)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,488	5,319
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	116	(83)
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	9,400	14,060
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(428)	(571)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,323	2,137
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(272)	(204)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,723	16,197
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	700	(775)
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	2,250	1,497
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(87)	(143)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	163	126
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(50)	(53)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,413	1,623
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	137	(196)
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	44,001	82,989
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(4,114)	(5,624)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	7,199	11,131
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,398)	(2,092)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	51,200	94,120
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	5,512	(7,716)
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	2,792	3,114
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(545)	(461)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,005	1,115
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(461)	(385)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,797	4,229
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	1,006	(846)
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	6,637	9,056
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(339)	(655)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	988	741
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(194)	(202)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,625	9,797
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	533	(857)
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	6,029	28,132
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(79)	(1,427)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	40,107	43,172
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(6,780)	(8,494)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	46,136	71,304
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	6,859	(9,921)
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	60,403	54,533
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,783)	(2,205)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	50,259	29,104
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(18,247)	(17,145)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	110,662	83,637
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	20,030	(19,350)
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	46
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(17)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	7,564	17,136
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(5,352)	(15,158)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,564	17,182
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	5,352	(15,175)
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)