Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

The changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill for our funeral and cemetery reporting units are as follows (in thousands):



	2013									2012
	Funeral			Cemetery			Total			Funeral			Cemetery			Total

Balance as of January 1:	$	1,319,308		$	63,102		$	1,382,410		$	1,298,350		$	63,143		$	1,361,493

Increase in goodwill related to acquisitions	322,118			260,108			582,226			20,289			—			20,289
Reduction of goodwill related to divestitures	(2,774		)	—			(2,774		)	(2,210		)	(41		)	(2,251		)
Held for Sale	(29,070		)	(2,027		)	(31,097		)
Effect of foreign currency and other	(8,663		)	—			(8,663		)	2,879			—			2,879
Activity in 2013	281,611			258,081			539,692			20,958			(41		)	20,917

Balance as of December 31	$	1,600,919		$	321,183		$	1,922,102		$	1,319,308		$	63,102		$	1,382,410

Schedule of Intangible Assets [Table Text Block]

The components of intangible assets at December 31 were as follows:



	Useful life
	Minimum		Maximum	2013		2012
	(Years)			(In thousands)
Amortizing intangibles:
Covenants-not-to-compete	2	-	20	$	218,771	$	208,594
Customer relationships	10	-	20	174,282		102,481
Tradenames	5	-	5	12,750		3,600
Other	5	-	40	17,027		6,050
				422,830		320,725
Less: Accumulated amortization				227,119		207,985
Amortizing intangibles, net				195,711		112,740

Non-amortizing intangibles:
Tradenames			Indefinite	215,135		134,823
Other			Indefinite	11,640		10,140
Non-amortizing intangibles				226,775		144,963

Intangible assets, net				$	422,486	$	257,703

Schedule of Expected Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]

The following is estimated amortization expense, excluding certain intangibles for which we are unable to provide an estimate because they are amortized based on specific identification in the performance of a preneed contract, for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2013 (in thousands):



2014	$	17,572
2015	14,884
2016	14,065
2017	11,525
2018	10,722