Income Taxes Level 4 (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2013		Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Impact of of certain tax items	$ 25,100,000																$ 25,100,000
United States																	199,374,000		210,830,000	196,788,000
Foreign																	46,345,000		34,853,000	28,848,000
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	49,682,000	[1]	45,882,000	[1]	56,143,000	[1]	94,012,000	[1]	46,749,000	[1]	63,925,000	[1]	63,574,000	[1]	71,435,000	[1]	245,719,000		245,683,000	225,636,000
United States																	2,206,000		3,752,000	1,267,000
Foreign																	12,445,000		8,776,000	5,844,000
State																	7,864,000		6,036,000	5,781,000
Total current income taxes																	22,515,000		18,564,000	12,892,000
United States																	65,591,000		62,227,000	57,845,000
Foreign																	21,000		(102,000)	279,000
State																	8,488,000		10,859,000	8,388,000
Total deferred income taxes																	74,100,000		72,984,000	66,512,000
Total income taxes	(21,130,000)		(18,488,000)		(21,708,000)		(35,290,000)		(20,365,000)		(22,128,000)		(25,935,000)		(23,120,000)		96,615,000		91,548,000	79,404,000
Income Taxes Paid																	26,000,000		23,100,000	13,100,000
Proceeds from Income Tax Refunds																	500,000		1,500,000	8,500,000
Computed tax provision at the applicable federal statutory income tax rate																	86,002,000		85,988,000	78,973,000
State and local taxes, net of federal income tax benefits																	10,614,000		10,998,000	9,895,000
Dividends received deduction and tax exempt interest																	(592,000)		(525,000)	(644,000)
Foreign jurisdiction differences																	(3,722,000)		(3,491,000)	(4,789,000)
Permanent differences associated with dispositions																	268,000		602,000	(6,329,000)
Changes in uncertain tax positions																	3,710,000		(479,000)	1,584,000
Other																	335,000		(1,545,000)	714,000
Effective Income Tax Rate, Continuing Operations																	39.30%		37.30%	35.20%
Increase (Decrease) in Income Taxes																	3,100,000
Inventories and cemetery property, principally due to purchase accounting adjustments	(385,714,000)								(346,364,000)								(385,714,000)		(346,364,000)
Property and equipment, principally due to differences in depreciation methods and purchase accounting adjustments	(163,770,000)								(97,469,000)								(163,770,000)		(97,469,000)
Intangibles	(372,105,000)								(182,864,000)								(372,105,000)		(182,864,000)
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Payables	(22,083,000)								0								(22,083,000)		0
Deferred tax liabilities	(943,672,000)								(626,697,000)								(943,672,000)		(626,697,000)
Deferred Tax Assets, Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards	170,900,000								141,739,000								170,900,000		141,739,000
Deferred revenue on preneed funeral and cemetery contracts, principally due to earnings from trust funds	180,283,000								38,823,000								180,283,000		38,823,000
Accrued liabilities	109,838,000								84,016,000								109,838,000		84,016,000
Other	0								2,007,000								0		2,007,000
Deferred tax assets	461,021,000								266,585,000								461,021,000		266,585,000
Less: Valuation allowance	(74,918,000)								(67,732,000)								(74,918,000)		(67,732,000)
Net deferred income tax liability																	49,900,000
Deferred tax assets	39,074,000								42,864,000								39,074,000		42,864,000
Non-current deferred tax assets	22,557,000								490,000								22,557,000		490,000
Non-current deferred tax liabilities	(619,200,000)								(471,198,000)								(619,200,000)		(471,198,000)
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities																	36,300,000		29,100,000
Undistributed Earnings from Foreign Subsidiaries																	241,500,000		263,100,000
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance							143,988,000								156,312,000		143,988,000		156,312,000	152,765,000
Additions to tax positions related to the current year																	3,019,000		(2,100,000)	4,971,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Increase Resulting from Acquisition																	1,556,000
Additions to tax positions related to prior years																	8,800,000		10,224,000	(60,000)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Decrease Resulting from Prior Period Tax Positions																	(8,800,000)
Statute expirations																	(2,844,000)			(1,484,000)
Ending Balance	136,919,000								143,988,000								136,919,000		143,988,000	156,312,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits that Would Impact Effective Tax Rate	37,100,000								34,900,000								37,100,000		34,900,000	37,800,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued	44,500,000								41,600,000								44,500,000		41,600,000	41,800,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Increases, Net																	7,100,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Expense																	3,000,000		200,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards	3,227,661,000																3,227,661,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year One																	17,167,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Two																	157,039,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Three																	36,007,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Four																	14,755,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Five Years and Thereafter																	3,002,693,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Unexpiring																	67,500,000
Valuation allowance, change due to business combination																	2,700,000
Net deferred income tax liability	(557,569,000)								(427,844,000)								(557,569,000)		(427,844,000)
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member]
Deferred Tax Assets, Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards	36,799,000																36,799,000
Less: Valuation allowance	0																0
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	77,997,000																77,997,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year One																	115,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Two																	58,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Three																	121,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Four																	0
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Five Years and Thereafter																	77,703,000
Change in net operating loss carryforwards																	3,700,000
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Deferred Tax Assets, Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards	110,941,000	[2]															110,941,000	[2]
Less: Valuation allowance	(55,574,000)	[2]															(55,574,000)	[2]
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	3,149,659,000																3,149,659,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year One																	17,052,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Two																	156,981,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Three																	35,886,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Four																	14,755,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Five Years and Thereafter																	2,924,985,000
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount																	9,900,000
Change in net operating loss carryforwards																	7,200,000
Foreign Tax Authority [Member]
Deferred Tax Assets, Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards	23,160,000																23,160,000
Less: Valuation allowance	(19,344,000)																(19,344,000)
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	5,000																5,000
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year One																	0
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Two																	0
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Three																	0
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Year Four																	0
Loss Carry Forwards, Expirations in Five Years and Thereafter																	$ 5,000

[1] Includes (Losses) gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net, as described in Note 20.

[2] Presented net of Federal benefit