Preneed Trust Investments (Cost and fair market values associated with preneed funeral trust investments) (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
U.S. Agency Obligations [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Fair value asset transfers, Level 1 to Level 2	$ 400,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	96,656,000	95,367,000
Unrealized Gains	7,584,000	5,725,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Loss1	1,970,000	1,766,000
Fair Market Value	102,270,000	99,326,000
Preneed cemetery trust investments	103,104,000	100,005,000
Fair market value as a percentage of cost	105.80%	104.20%
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Cash and Money Market Accounts [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	14,531,000	14,631,000
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Loss1	0	0
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Cash and Money Market Accounts [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Fair Market Value	14,531,000	14,631,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| U.S. Treasury Debt [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	2,210,000	2,212,000
Unrealized Gains	41,000	47,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Loss1	41,000	54,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| U.S. Treasury Debt [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Fair Market Value	2,210,000	2,205,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| U.S. Agency Obligations [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	388,000	401,000
Unrealized Gains	9,000	8,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Loss1	5,000	7,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| U.S. Agency Obligations [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Fair Market Value	392,000	402,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	3,146,000	2,726,000
Unrealized Gains	198,000	115,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Loss1	4,000	2,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Fair Market Value	3,340,000	2,839,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Corporate Debt [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	26,183,000	27,993,000
Unrealized Gains	597,000	375,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Loss1	1,120,000	957,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Corporate Debt [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Fair Market Value	25,660,000	27,411,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Preferred Stock [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	16,712,000	15,949,000
Unrealized Gains	678,000	292,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Loss1	113,000	282,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Preferred Stock [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Fair Market Value	17,277,000	15,959,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	1,000
Unrealized Gains	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Loss1	0
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Fair Market Value	1,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Common Stock
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	11,997,000	10,681,000
Unrealized Gains	3,015,000	2,092,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Loss1	543,000	237,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Common Stock \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Fair Market Value	14,469,000	12,536,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Equity [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	11,710,000	11,632,000
Unrealized Gains	2,902,000	2,708,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Loss1	5,000	22,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Equity [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Fair Market Value	14,607,000	14,318,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Fixed Income [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	5,399,000	5,455,000
Unrealized Gains	144,000	88,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Loss1	113,000	179,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Fixed Income [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Fair Market Value	5,430,000	5,364,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	4,379,000	3,686,000
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Loss1	26,000	26,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Other Investments [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Fair Market Value	4,353,000	3,660,000
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member] \| Accrued Investment Income [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	834,000	679,000
Fair Market Value	$ 834,000	$ 679,000