Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care [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	$ 199,448	$ 75,742
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,400)	(4,052)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	62,038	61,406
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(11,669)	(19,346)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	261,486	137,148
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(17,069)	(23,398)
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	356	373
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	18	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	374	373
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(5)	(1)
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	16,705	9,145
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(346)	(140)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	5,421	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(215)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	22,126	9,145
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(561)	(140)
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	11,231	5,439
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(108)	(33)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,486	1,886
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(114)	(18)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,717	7,325
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(222)	(51)
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	560	183
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(11)	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	562	183
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(11)	(2)
Asset-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	66
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	15
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	81
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(2)
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	1,083	3,115
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(20)	(639)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	160	973
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(20)	(299)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,243	4,088
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(40)	(938)
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	30,801	38,323
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2,644)	(2,403)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,426	7,495
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(754)	(986)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	33,227	45,818
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(3,398)	(3,389)
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	822	1,246
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(96)	(281)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,817	1,055
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(630)	(450)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,639	2,301
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(726)	(731)
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	2,977	4,712
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(195)	(389)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	723	696
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(168)	(58)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,700	5,408
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(363)	(447)
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	221	2,654
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(14)	(127)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	207	404
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(45)	(84)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	428	3,058
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(59)	(211)
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	134,626	10,552
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,960)	(37)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	28,430	31,837
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(869)	(404)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	163,056	42,389
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(2,829)	(441)
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	19,333	10,752
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(8,853)	(13,943)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	19,333	10,752
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(8,853)	(13,943)
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
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		6,308
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses		(3,104)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		6,308
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		$ (3,104)