Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Cemetery Perpetual Care, USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 499,639	$ 708,011
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	20,598	(20,990)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	28,202	35,581
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(8,834)	13,031
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	527,841	743,592
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(29,432)	(34,021)
US Treasury Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	436	497
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3)	(4)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	68	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	504	497
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(4)	(4)
Foreign Government Debt Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	2,103	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(6)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,952	7,825
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(193)	(233)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,055	7,825
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(199)	(233)
Corporate Debt Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,013	4,656
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(22)	(108)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	5,360	3,198
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(117)	(102)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,373	7,854
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(139)	(210)
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	160	256
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1)	(5)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	213	69
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(5)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	373	325
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(6)	(6)
Asset-backed Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	371	373
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(8)	(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, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	371	373
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(8)	(4)
Preferred Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	3,234	2,224
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(164)	(11)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	54	49
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,288	2,273
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(164)	(12)
US Common Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	134,139	100,370
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(8,864)	(4,803)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	152	419
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(78)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	134,291	100,789
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(8,864)	(4,881)
Canada Common Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,175	2,418
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(160)	(244)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	701	757
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(297)	(352)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,876	3,175
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(457)	(596)
Other International Common Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	8,550	4,444
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,063)	(399)
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, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,550	4,444
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,063)	(399)
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	2,649	2,601
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(253)	(85)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	185	153
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(14)	(8)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,834	2,754
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(267)	(93)
Fixed Income Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	345,809	576,890
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(10,054)	(14,177)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,045	2,581
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(48)	(86)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	347,854	579,471
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(10,102)	(14,263)
Private Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0	9,213
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(798)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	10,092	14,254
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(7,240)	(9,990)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	10,092	23,467
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(7,240)	(10,788)
Other Investments
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0	4,069
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(352)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,380	6,276
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(919)	(2,180)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,380	10,345
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ (919)	$ (2,532)