Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Invstments (Details) (Cemetery [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 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	$ 347,862	$ 227,380
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(26,934)	12,027
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	96,961	105,040
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(36,974)	43,734
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	444,823	332,420
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(63,908)	(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	52,474	28,626
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,504)	(841)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	16,491	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,523)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	68,965	28,626
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	7,027	(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	3,341	5,319
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(84)	(83)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,878	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(85)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,219	5,319
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	169	(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	15,974	14,060
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(624)	(571)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,268	2,137
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(183)	(204)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	18,242	16,197
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	807	(775)
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	67
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	67
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1)
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	1,143	1,497
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(34)	(143)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	126
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(53)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,143	1,623
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	34	(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	61,271	82,989
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(4,934)	(5,624)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	7,359	11,131
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,482)	(2,092)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	68,630	94,120
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	6,416	(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	2,693	3,114
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(473)	(461)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,830	1,115
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(824)	(385)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,523	4,229
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	1,297	(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	13,549	9,056
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,194)	(655)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,203	741
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(251)	(202)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,752	9,797
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	1,445	(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	75,468	28,132
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3,484)	(1,427)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	32,146	43,172
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(5,882)	(8,494)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	107,614	71,304
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	9,366	(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	121,882	54,533
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(10,602)	(2,205)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	24,748	29,104
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(21,972)	(17,145)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	146,630	83,637
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	32,574	(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	7,690	17,136
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(4,741)	(15,158)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,690	17,182
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	4,741	(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	0	8
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	348	378
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(31)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	348	386
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ 31	$ 1