Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Fair Value Hierarchy (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care [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 | $ 913,014 | $ 922,228 |
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | ||
| Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] | ||
| Trust investments, at market | 835,672 | 806,828 |
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | ||
| Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] | ||
| Trust investments, at market | 59,786 | 98,311 |
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | ||
| Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] | ||
| Trust investments, at market | $ 17,556 | $ 17,089 |