Preneed Cemetery Activities Fair Value Hierarchy (Details) (Cemetery [Member], USD $) In Thousands | Sep. 30, 2011 | Dec. 31, 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] | ||
| Trust investments, at market | $ 967,503 | $ 1,062,771 |
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | ||
| Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] | ||
| Trust investments, at market | 834,284 | 932,782 |
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | ||
| Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] | ||
| Trust investments, at market | 119,114 | 123,738 |
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | ||
| Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] | ||
| Trust investments, at market | $ 14,105 | $ 6,251 |