Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Cemetery [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 269,357	$ 227,380
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(15,577)	(12,027)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	122,667	105,040
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(39,249)	(43,734)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	392,024	332,420
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	54,826	55,761
US Treasury Securities [Member] | Cemetery [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	45,120	28,626
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(6,040)	(841)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	25,043	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(2,836)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	70,163	28,626
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	8,876	841
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] | Cemetery [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	9,424	5,319
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(120)	(83)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,066	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(141)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,490	5,319
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	261	83
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] | Cemetery [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	15,050	14,060
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(424)	(571)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,073	2,137
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(222)	(204)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	18,123	16,197
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	646	775
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Cemetery [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	145
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2
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	147
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	2
Asset-backed Securities [Member] | Cemetery [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	3,257
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(13)
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	3,257
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	13
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	5,604	1,497
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(123)	(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	5,604	1,623
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	123	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	46,317	82,989
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2,648)	(5,624)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,489	11,131
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(583)	(2,092)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	49,806	94,120
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	3,231	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	1,569	3,114
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(502)	(461)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,935	1,115
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(433)	(385)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,504	4,229
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	935	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	4,344	9,056
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(124)	(655)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	702	741
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(76)	(202)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	5,046	9,797
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	200	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	3,858	28,132
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(54)	(1,427)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	14,477	43,172
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,650)	(8,494)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	18,335	71,304
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	1,704	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	134,669	54,533
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,527)	(2,205)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	64,009	29,104
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(28,122)	(17,145)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	198,678	83,637
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	33,649	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	6,589	17,136
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(5,153)	(15,158)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,589	17,182
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	5,153	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
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	282
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(33)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	282
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	33
Other Investments [Member] | Cemetery [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