Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Invstments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Cemetery [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 241,716	$ 269,357
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(13,748)	15,577
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	120,134	122,667
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(34,331)	39,249
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	361,850	392,024
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(48,079)	(54,826)
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	38,848	45,120
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(4,286)	(6,040)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	19,559	25,043
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(2,269)	(2,836)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	58,407	70,163
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(6,555)	(8,876)
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	11,259	9,424
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(82)	(120)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,113	3,066
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(33)	(141)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,372	12,490
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(115)	(261)
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	10,154	15,050
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(271)	(424)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,718	3,073
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(130)	(222)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,872	18,123
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(401)	(646)
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	169	145
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3)	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4	2
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	173	147
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(3)	(2)
Preferred Stock 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	2,260	5,604
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(45)	(123)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	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	2,260	5,604
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(45)	(123)
US Common Stock 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	82,419	46,317
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,575)	(2,648)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,909	3,489
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(195)	(583)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	85,328	49,806
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(5,770)	(3,231)
Canada Common Stock 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	1,843	1,569
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(123)	(502)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,395	1,935
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(768)	(433)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,238	3,504
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(891)	(935)
Other International Common Stock 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	8,190	4,344
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(699)	(124)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	625	702
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(80)	(76)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,815	5,046
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(779)	(200)
Equity Funds [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	2,199	3,858
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(27)	(54)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	14,643	14,477
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,458)	(1,650)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	16,842	18,335
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,485)	(1,704)
Fixed Income Funds [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	84,375	134,669
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2,637)	(5,527)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	69,182	64,009
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(24,706)	(28,122)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	153,557	198,678
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(27,343)	(33,649)
Private Equity Funds [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	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	6,707	6,589
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(4,686)	(5,153)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,707	6,589
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(4,686)	(5,153)
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	279
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(6)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	279
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(6)
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		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)