Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Funeral [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 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	$ 210,376	$ 170,669
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(12,271)	(8,378)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	116,368	91,149
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(28,014)	(38,129)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	326,744	261,818
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(40,285)	(46,507)
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	29,033	22,357
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3,230)	(803)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	17,445	6,741
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,269)	(77)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	46,478	29,098
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(4,499)	(880)
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	23,989	7,912
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,100)	(113)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	6,252	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(256)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	30,241	7,912
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,356)	(113)
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	18,650	7,809
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(446)	(347)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,317	4,283
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(293)	(276)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	22,967	12,092
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(739)	(623)
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	1,322	956
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(23)	(8)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	19	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,341	956
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(24)	(8)
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	1,214	1,220
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(50)	(93)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	52
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(10)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,214	1,272
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(50)	(103)
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	46,129	70,752
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3,097)	(4,694)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,069	9,089
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(892)	(2,209)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	50,198	79,841
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(3,989)	(6,903)
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	4,590	6,592
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(696)	(652)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,686	2,516
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(939)	(619)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,276	9,108
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,635)	(1,271)
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	4,820	7,606
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(358)	(521)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	740	608
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(151)	(137)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	5,560	8,214
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(509)	(658)
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	15,211	6,779
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(122)	(126)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	13,344	26,340
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(2,664)	(6,602)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	28,555	33,119
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(2,786)	(6,728)
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	65,418	38,686
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3,149)	(1,021)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	53,809	24,131
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(14,190)	(9,231)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	119,227	62,817
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(17,339)	(10,252)
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	0
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	13,687	17,389
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(7,359)	(18,968)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,687	17,389
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ (7,359)	$ (18,968)