Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 1,271,129	$ 1,266,716
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	116,055	101,437
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(13,571)	(15,614)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,373,613	1,352,539
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,675	1,588
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	18	9
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(11)	(14)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,682	1,583
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	29,208	28,487
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	346	301
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(204)	(459)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	29,350	28,329
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	41,561	43,196
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	733	312
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(309)	(263)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	41,985	43,245
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	4,280	4,258
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	34	14
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(15)	(19)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	4,299	4,253
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	3,001	3,006
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	67	5
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(4)	(11)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,064	3,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	26,495	25,952
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,431	192
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(62)	(252)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	27,864	25,892
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	232,619	231,156
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	54,271	53,782
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(2,301)	(2,087)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	284,589	282,851
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	8,446	8,846
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,389	2,222
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(579)	(623)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	10,256	10,445
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	21,341	20,676
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,863	1,319
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(166)	(167)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	23,038	21,828
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	40,452	41,282
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	7,385	5,693
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(27)	(35)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	47,810	46,940
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	822,406	819,439
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	45,882	35,963
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,130)	(2,598)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	867,158	852,804
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	29,074	28,309
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	485	472
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(8,753)	(9,002)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	20,806	19,779
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	10,571	10,521
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,151	1,153
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(10)	(84)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 11,712	$ 11,590