Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Funeral [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 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	$ 276,565	$ 170,669
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(18,924)	(8,378)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	112,196	91,149
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(30,962)	(38,129)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	388,761	261,818
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(49,886)	(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	34,708	22,357
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3,301)	(803)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	17,971	6,741
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,318)	(77)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	52,679	29,098
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(4,619)	(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	14,505	7,912
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(446)	(113)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	6,653	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(201)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	21,158	7,912
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(647)	(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	9,872	7,809
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(415)	(347)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,156	4,283
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(325)	(276)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,028	12,092
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(740)	(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	1,604	956
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(22)	(8)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	20	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	1,624	956
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(23)	(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	677	1,220
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(26)	(93)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	52
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(10)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	677	1,272
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(26)	(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	41,535	70,752
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3,633)	(4,694)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	6,276	9,089
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,741)	(2,209)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	47,811	79,841
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(5,374)	(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	5,917	6,592
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(779)	(652)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,827	2,516
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(810)	(619)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,744	9,108
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,589)	(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	8,831	7,606
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(844)	(521)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	824	608
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(180)	(137)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	9,655	8,214
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,024)	(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	41,947	6,779
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2,589)	(126)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	16,935	26,340
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(4,537)	(6,602)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	58,882	33,119
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(7,126)	(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	116,969	38,686
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(6,869)	(1,021)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	42,180	24,131
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(13,165)	(9,231)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	159,149	62,817
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(20,034)	(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	13,769	17,389
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(8,645)	(18,968)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,769	17,389
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(8,645)	(18,968)
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	585
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(39)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	585
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ (39)