| 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 unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 are detailed below. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | September 30, 2013 | | December 31, 2012 | | Preneed Funeral | | Preneed Cemetery | | Total | | Preneed Funeral | | Preneed Cemetery | | Total | | (In thousands) | | (In thousands) | Trust investments | $ | 1,381,264 |
| | $ | 1,414,456 |
| | $ | 2,795,720 |
| | $ | 1,337,014 |
| | $ | 1,291,016 |
| | $ | 2,628,030 |
| Accrued trust operating payables and other | (911 | ) | | (1,353 | ) | | (2,264 | ) | | (1,827 | ) | | (1,882 | ) | | (3,709 | ) | Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust | $ | 1,380,353 |
| | $ | 1,413,103 |
| | $ | 2,793,456 |
| | $ | 1,335,187 |
| | $ | 1,289,134 |
| | $ | 2,624,321 |
|
|
| Schedule of Other Nonoperating Income, by Component [Table Text Block] |
The components of Other income, net in our unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 are detailed below. See Notes 4, 5, and 6 for further discussion of the amounts related to the funeral, cemetery, and cemetery perpetual care trusts. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Three Months Ended September 30, 2013 | | Funeral Trusts | | Cemetery Trusts | | Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts | | Other, Net | | Total | | | | (In thousands) | | | Realized gains | $ | 12,953 |
| | $ | 19,965 |
| | $ | 4,871 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 37,789 |
| Realized losses | (2,212 | ) | | (3,454 | ) | | (966 | ) | | — |
| | (6,632 | ) | Impairment charges | (157 | ) | | (218 | ) | | — |
| | — |
| | (375 | ) | Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income | 2,470 |
| | 3,171 |
| | 5,372 |
| | — |
| | 11,013 |
| Trust expenses and income taxes | (2,705 | ) | | (3,512 | ) | | (273 | ) | | — |
| | (6,490 | ) | Net trust investment income | 10,349 |
| | 15,952 |
| | 9,004 |
| | — |
| | 35,305 |
| Reclassification to deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and care trusts’ corpus | (10,349 | ) | | (15,952 | ) | | (9,004 | ) | | — |
| | (35,305 | ) | Other income, net | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 666 |
| | 666 |
| Total other income, net | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 666 |
| | $ | 666 |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013 | | Funeral Trusts | | Cemetery Trusts | | Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts | | Other, Net | | Total | | | | (In thousands) | | | Realized gains | $ | 41,654 |
| | $ | 66,284 |
| | $ | 13,772 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 121,710 |
| Realized losses | (8,378 | ) | | (12,509 | ) | | (1,728 | ) | | — |
| | (22,615 | ) | Impairment charges | (803 | ) | | (1,515 | ) | | (189 | ) | | — |
| | (2,507 | ) | Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income | 18,493 |
| | 13,615 |
| | 19,245 |
| | — |
| | 51,353 |
| Trust expenses and income taxes | (7,743 | ) | | (10,268 | ) | | (1,857 | ) | | — |
| | (19,868 | ) | Net trust investment income | 43,223 |
| | 55,607 |
| | 29,243 |
| | — |
| | 128,073 |
| Reclassification to deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and care trusts’ corpus | (43,223 | ) | | (55,607 | ) | | (29,243 | ) | | — |
| | (128,073 | ) | Other expense, net | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | (1,017 | ) | | (1,017 | ) | Total other expense, net | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | (1,017 | ) | | $ | (1,017 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Three Months Ended September 30, 2012 | | Funeral Trusts | | Cemetery Trusts | | Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts | | Other, Net | | Total | | | | (In thousands) | | | Realized gains | $ | 7,681 |
| | $ | 9,754 |
| | $ | 3,328 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 20,763 |
| Realized losses | (4,570 | ) | | (6,962 | ) | | (1,518 | ) | | — |
| | (13,050 | ) | Impairment charges | (151 | ) | | (189 | ) | | (4 | ) | | — |
| | (344 | ) | Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income | 2,083 |
| | 2,247 |
| | 8,113 |
| | — |
| | 12,443 |
| Trust expenses and income taxes | (2,288 | ) | | (3,116 | ) | | (727 | ) | | — |
| | (6,131 | ) | Net trust investment income | 2,755 |
| | 1,734 |
| | 9,192 |
| | — |
| | 13,681 |
| Reclassification to deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and care trusts’ corpus | (2,755 | ) | | (1,734 | ) | | (9,192 | ) | | — |
| | (13,681 | ) | Other income, net | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 2,317 |
| | 2,317 |
| Total other income, net | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 2,317 |
| | $ | 2,317 |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012 | | Funeral Trusts | | Cemetery Trusts | | Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts | | Other, Net | | Total | | | | (In thousands) | | | Realized gains | $ | 43,446 |
| | $ | 57,636 |
| | $ | 7,522 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 108,604 |
| Realized losses | (18,730 | ) | | (25,028 | ) | | (5,435 | ) | | — |
| | (49,193 | ) | Impairment charges | (725 | ) | | (781 | ) | | (258 | ) | | — |
| | (1,764 | ) | Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income | 10,834 |
| | 8,308 |
| | 22,170 |
| | — |
| | 41,312 |
| Trust expenses and income taxes | (7,236 | ) | | (9,367 | ) | | (635 | ) | | — |
| | (17,238 | ) | Net trust investment income | 27,589 |
| | 30,768 |
| | 23,364 |
| | — |
| | 81,721 |
| Reclassification to deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and care trusts’ corpus | (27,589 | ) | | (30,768 | ) | | (23,364 | ) | | — |
| | (81,721 | ) | Other income, net | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 4,001 |
| | 4,001 |
| Total other income, net | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 4,001 |
| | $ | 4,001 |
|
|