Deferred Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trusts' Corpus Level 3 (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Deferred Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trusts' Corpus [Abstract]  
Schedule of Deferred Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Receitps Held in Trust Components [Table Text Block]
The components of Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust in our consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2011 and 2010 are detailed below.
 
December 31, 2011
 
December 31, 2010
 
Preneed
Funeral
 
Preneed
Cemetery
 
Total
 
Preneed
Funeral
 
Preneed
Cemetery
 
Total
 
 
(In thousands)
 
 
 
(In thousands)
 
Trust investments
$
1,271,446

 
$
1,156,023

 
$
2,427,469

 
$
1,216,542

 
$
1,194,795

 
$
2,411,337

Accrued trust operating payables and other
(1,261
)
 
(1,852
)
 
(3,113
)
 
(975
)
 
(2,288
)
 
(3,263
)
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust
$
1,270,185

 
$
1,154,171

 
$
2,424,356

 
$
1,215,567

 
$
1,192,507

 
$
2,408,074
Schedule of Care Trust Corpus' Components [Table Text Block]
Care Trusts’ Corpus
The Care trusts’ corpus reflected in our consolidated balance sheet represents the cemetery perpetual care trusts, including the related accrued expenses.
The components of Care trusts’ corpus in our consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2011 and 2010 are detailed below.
 
December 31, 2011
 
December 31, 2010
 
(In thousands)
Cemetery perpetual care trust investments
$
1,016,506

 
$
987,019

Accrued trust operating payables and other
(1,206
)
 
(147
)
Care trusts’ corpus
$
1,015,300

 
$
986,872
Schedule of Other Nonoperating Income, by Component [Table Text Block]
The components of Other (expense) income, net in our consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009 are detailed below. See Notes 4, 5, and 6 for further discussion of the amounts related to our funeral, cemetery, and cemetery perpetual care trusts.
 
Year Ended December 31, 2011
 
Funeral
Trusts
 
Cemetery
Trusts
 
Cemetery Perpetual
Care Trusts
 
Other, Net
 
Total
 
 
 
 
 
(In thousands)
 
 
 
 
Realized gains
$
61,272

 
$
67,167

 
$
34,275

 
$
—

 
$
162,714

Realized losses
(41,162
)
 
(46,889
)
 
(16,310
)
 
—

 
(104,361
)
Impairment charges
(24,705
)
 
(28,705
)
 
(741
)
 
—

 
(54,151
)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income
22,283

 
26,902

 
35,467

 
—

 
84,652

Trust expenses and income taxes
(7,303
)
 
(10,579
)
 
(2,774
)
 
—

 
(20,656
)
Net trust investment income
10,385

 
7,896

 
49,917

 
—

 
68,198

Reclassification to deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and care trusts’ corpus
(10,385
)
 
(7,896
)
 
(49,917
)
 
—

 
(68,198
)
Other (expense) income, net
—

 
—

 
—

 
(772
)
 
(772
)
Total other (expense) income, net
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
(772
)
 
$
(772
)
 
Year Ended December 31, 2010
 
Funeral
Trusts
 
Cemetery
Trusts
 
Cemetery Perpetual
Care Trusts
 
Other, Net
 
Total
 
(In thousands)
Realized gains
$
36,807

 
$
43,413

 
$
11,753

 
$
—

 
$
91,973

Realized losses
(46,601
)
 
(51,771
)
 
(9,792
)
 
—

 
(108,164
)
Impairment charges
(8,135
)
 
(5,749
)
 
(7,771
)
 
—

 
(21,655
)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income
18,571

 
22,464

 
34,356

 
—

 
75,391

Trust expenses and income taxes
(4,920
)
 
(9,708
)
 
(1,872
)
 
—

 
(16,500
)
Net trust investment (loss) income
(4,278
)
 
(1,351
)
 
26,674

 
—

 
21,045

Reclassification to deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and care trusts’ corpus
4,278

 
1,351

 
(26,674
)
 
—

 
(21,045
)
Other (expense) income, net
—

 
—

 
—

 
3,009

 
3,009

Total other (expense) income, net
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
3,009

 
$
3,009


 
Year Ended December 31, 2009
 
Funeral
Trusts
 
Cemetery
Trusts
 
Cemetery Perpetual
Care Trusts
 
Other, Net
 
Total
 
 
 
 
 
(In thousands)
 
 
 
 
Realized gains
$
28,715

 
$
44,972

 
$
11,288

 
$
—

 
$
84,975

Realized losses
(57,118
)
 
(75,254
)
 
(20,512
)
 
—

 
(152,884
)
Impairment charges
(22,476
)
 
(41,245
)
 
(13,067
)
 
—

 
(76,788
)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income
21,694

 
25,273

 
37,436

 
—

 
84,403

Trust expenses and income taxes
(4,127
)
 
(3,789
)
 
(3,240
)
 
—

 
(11,156
)
Net trust investment (loss) income
(33,312
)
 
(50,043
)
 
11,905

 
—

 
(71,450
)
Reclassification to deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and care trusts’ corpus
33,312

 
50,043

 
(11,905
)
 
—

 
71,450

Other (expense) income, net
—

 
—

 
—

 
1,316

 
1,316

Total other (expense) income, net
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
1,316

 
$
1,316