Preneed Trust Investments (Unrealized losses on cemetery merchandise and service trust investments) (Details) - Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Impairment charge, other than temporary decline in fair value of investments	$ 0	$ 700
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	15,245		$ 15,566
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1,078)		(745)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	19,214		20,056
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(3,349)		(3,827)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	34,459		35,622
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(4,427)		(4,572)
Municipal Bonds [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	399		228
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(33)		(4)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	399		228
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(33)		(4)
Foreign Debt [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	845		2,523
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(20)		(180)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,553		2,868
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(400)		(475)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,398		5,391
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(420)		(655)
Corporate Debt [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	7,146		6,939
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(529)		(233)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,715		2,168
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(498)		(890)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,861		9,107
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,027)		(1,123)
Preferred Stock [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,933		3,217
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(64)		(121)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	11,750		11,635
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(664)		(826)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,683		14,852
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(728)		(947)
Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	270		51
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(13)		(5)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	270		51
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(13)		(5)
Common Stock [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	4,652		2,608
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(419)		(202)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,196		3,385
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,787)		(1,636)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,848		5,993
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (2,206)		$ (1,838)

Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investments in debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale that have been in a continuous loss position for twelve months or longer.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
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-Publisher FASB
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