Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Funeral [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 148,035	$ 170,669
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(6,893)	(8,378)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	130,900	91,149
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(27,897)	(38,129)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	278,935	261,818
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(34,790)	(46,507)
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	22,192	22,357
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(610)	(803)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	18,638	6,741
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(746)	(77)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	40,830	29,098
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,356)	(880)
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	10,080	7,912
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(264)	(113)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	9,546	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(282)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	19,626	7,912
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(546)	(113)
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	5,617	7,809
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(254)	(347)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,632	4,283
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(351)	(276)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	10,249	12,092
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(605)	(623)
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	919	956
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(11)	(8)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	30	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	949	956
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(12)	(8)
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	1,397	1,220
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(74)	(93)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	22	52
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(7)	(10)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,419	1,272
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(81)	(103)
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	35,099	70,752
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3,138)	(4,694)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	6,049	9,089
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,670)	(2,209)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	41,148	79,841
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(4,808)	(6,903)
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	6,486	6,592
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(824)	(652)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,497	2,516
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(323)	(619)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,983	9,108
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,147)	(1,271)
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	5,516	7,606
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(288)	(521)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	759	608
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(145)	(137)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,275	8,214
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(433)	(658)
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	1,183	6,779
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(28)	(126)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	23,745	26,340
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(5,222)	(6,602)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	24,928	33,119
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(5,250)	(6,728)
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	59,546	38,686
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,402)	(1,021)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	52,484	24,131
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(9,722)	(9,231)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	112,030	62,817
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(11,124)	(10,252)
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	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	13,498	17,389
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(9,428)	(18,968)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,498	17,389
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ (9,428)	$ (18,968)