Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Funeral [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 170,669	$ 282,821
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(8,378)	(39,446)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	91,149	76,375
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(38,129)	(39,120)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	261,818	359,196
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(46,507)	(78,566)
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	22,357	6,977
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(803)	(90)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	6,741	8,709
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(77)	(283)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	29,098	15,686
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(880)	(373)
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	7,912	9,597
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(113)	(109)
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	7,912	9,597
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(113)	(109)
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	956	600
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(8)	(4)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	295
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(30)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	956	895
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(8)	(34)
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	7,809	17,328
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(347)	(692)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,283	662
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(276)	(78)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,092	17,990
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(623)	(770)
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	1,220	1,244
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(93)	(153)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	52	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(10)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,272	1,244
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(103)	(153)
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	70,752	84,450
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(4,694)	(18,120)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	9,089	14,924
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(2,209)	(4,595)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	79,841	99,374
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(6,903)	(22,715)
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	6,592	8,448
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(652)	(1,491)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,516	513
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(619)	(280)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	9,108	8,961
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,271)	(1,771)
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	7,606	7,263
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(521)	(615)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	608	2,403
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(137)	(681)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,214	9,666
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(658)	(1,296)
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	6,779	76,559
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(126)	(9,173)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	26,340	26,053
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(6,602)	(9,809)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	33,119	102,612
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(6,728)	(18,982)
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	38,686	68,378
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,021)	(5,500)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	24,131	9,314
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(9,231)	(7,614)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	62,817	77,692
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(10,252)	(13,114)
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	1,977
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(3,499)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	17,389	13,502
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(18,968)	(15,750)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	17,389	15,479
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ (18,968)	$ (19,249)